Dark Uncle
by Ahn-Li Steffraini
Summary: True Sight Saga. Book One. AU. What would have happened if Palin hadn't survived his Test at the Tower of High Sorcery? Then who was running around Krynn as Palin!
1. Dark Uncle

True Sight Saga

Book One: Dark Uncle

_A Dragonlance Fan Fic_

_By the Miiro & Lord Terrence_

_Summary_: What if Palin never survived his Test at the Tower? Then who, as Palin, has been walking Krynn claiming to be Palin Majere?

_Rating_: PG-13

_Disclaimer_: I don't own anything WoTC, nor anything Dragonlance except the Miiro who makes brief appearances.

Author's Notes:

_Lord Terrence_: Expands on scenes from Palin's Test at the Tower of Wayreth all the way into the Fifth Age... only... it wasn't Palin.... ;) This is all due to our sick and demented Dungeon Master (when it was still 2nd Edition AD&D) who really needs to have her head felt, lol. We love you anyway, Kris.

_The Miiro_: When I came up with the idea I was playing the first Baldur's Gate where all the inhabitants of the first town (which name slips my short memory...) were all doppelgangers. While this had been my original idea, it was Lord Terrence who read where Palin and Dalamar dies (this actually happens canonically, sadly enough...) His suggestion was; "Kris, what if the your doppleganger isn't?" Of course, I was completely confused. Then he finished with saying, "Well, how did Palin get the Staff of Magius? You really think Raistlin would just give that away?" The game, and this story, was born...

* * *

They say the true test is how to love. But what is love? What would you do to spare someone you cared about pain? How you answer dictates how you protect your family...

* * *


	2. Winds of Change

Chapter One  
Winds of Change

Palin Majere was nervous. He wouldn't lie about either if asked. The fact that his Test was going to be held outside of the Tower of Wayreth and instead in the Tower of High Sorcery in Palanthus was enough to make any mage balk. No Test was ever conducted outside of Wayreth; except, of course, his. Dalamar stopped as they reached the topmost room in the Tower.

The lab.

His Uncle Raistlin's lab.

Palin would have swallowed in nervousness if it was not a sign of fear. Granted, he was afraid, but he was not about to show it. His father, Caramon Majere, said to Dalamar, "Are you daft? I even know that it is locked against all but my brother."

"Ah, but his Test is here, Caramon," answered Dalamar.

Palin stepped up to the door and was surprised when no guardian stopped him. Then again, so was Dalamar and his father. "Shouldn't there be a guardian or something?" he asked as he turned.

He only had enough to see his father and Dalamar, in mid motion, look as if they were going to jump the last four steps to the door when he felt a breeze where there should have been none. He turned back to the door to see that it was open. In puzzlement he stepped through the door. Moments later it clanged shut behind him. His father could be heard pounding on the door. Seconds later all went silent.

It was dark in the lab. The windows that rested high up were curtained shut and Palin pulled on one to open and allow some light in. The moonlight dimly illuminated the lab. A thick coating of dust covered everything and Palin trailed his hand on the central table. Looking at the dust covered palm Palin turned to take everything in.

Nothing had changed in over twenty five years since Raistlin had been in it last. In a way, this was a bit depressing. Raistlin's lab or no, it was meant to be _used_. Magic was meant to be worked, spells discovered or improved. Potions made... Secrets uncovered and more made. What had his Uncle discovered in the long hours of working here? So much to read and learn.

His gaze then came upon the curtained Portal. Lights seemed to spill out from beneath the shroud and Palin walked over to it. It fairly dwarfed him, and he pulled the shroud down. The heads of the dragons were alit in multi coloured flame. The view through the Portal was of a abyssal plain. Palin hovered on the doorstep, then stepped through....

* * *

Dalamar looked at Caramon, who in response stared dispondantly into the fire. After the absent Guardian returned, Caramon had been forced away from the door to the lab. Forced to leave his youngest son to whatever fate held within. He looked from the fireplace and at Dalamar, "Where had that blasted Guardian been when my son entered?"

"I don't know," Dalamar, for once, was being honest. "This was not part of the Test. He was never to enter, only to be at the entrance, to be tempted. This... changes things."

"Like what?"

"Well, if he returns, he will be inducted into the Order of whatever color of robes suits him," answered Dalamar. "What color, now, that remains to be seen..."

"You think Raistlin had something to do with this?" asked Caramon, a thin thread of hope in his voice.

A snort was his answer. "No, Raistlin is dead. I think your vision from the Gods was truth, and speaking of the Gods... I think it far more likely to be their doing," Dalamar tilted his head in thought. "That your son attracted such attention only leads to his suitiblity as a full wizard."

"So now what?"

"We wait."

* * *

Palin had indeed attracted the attention of the Gods. One in particular, but it was not a good thing to be the center of her attention. All five of her heads smiled in anticipation. What a perfect opportunity to lure him out of hiding. He would have to protect his nephew out of some misplaced feeling of loyalty.

The minute he did Takhisis would be all over him.

Well, right after she devoured the nephew, anyway. And what a fine specimen of humanity he was. Well formed and handsome. Perhaps she could play with him for a bit if Raistlin did not come out of hiding.

Palin was aware of the shadow far too late.

Claws held him pinned, and when he looked up into all of her eyes, he realized he was doomed. But he was also Caramon's son and would not give in to fear. He was still alive and therefore there was still hope. A corner of his mind wondered, _What part of the Test was this?_

"Ah, mortal," she chortled. "How easily you fell into my trap. This is not part of your Test at all. I interrupted it for a little game of cat and mouse, with you as the bait in the mousetrap."

"What? Who could possibly be here that would be lured by _me_?" he blurted out.

"Your Uncle," she answered evenly as she grasped him and flew off towards the deepest part of the Abyss.

Palin suddenly realized that the Test had gone suddenly very, very wrong.

* * *

He wasn't the only one. As to her plans, this had attracted some dismayed attention. First and foremost was her own son, Nuitari. Nuitari told Lunitari, and Lunitari told Solinari. The three Gods of Magic met in a neutral place to them all. Nuitari relayed what his Mother had done.

"She's gone too far," said Solinari.

"The Test is sacred," agreed Lunitari. "Any disruption will ruin the accuracy. The true and accurate result of Palin Majere's Test is now uncertain."

"Perhaps I can offer a solution," came a fourth voice.

The three turned, a slight bow to the woman who entered. "Miiro," greeted Lunitari. "Your wisdom here is welcome."

"You don't owe me that kind of respect, Lunitari," said the semi-mortal human woman. "But since you have entered the Realm of the Greater Balance, which I serve, I feel I must make a suggestion. You need someone to rescue Palin. Someone who can... balance the situation."

The three looked at each other, "And that would be you?"

"No, I no longer carry the Blue Star. That responsibility has passed to another. Let that be redemption as a Miiro," she offered before disappearing into the ethers.

The three Gods looked at each other, but it was Nuitari who asked in confusion, "What is she talking about?"

Solinari shrugged, but Lunitari had the grace to look a bit uncomfortable. Solinari asked, "Sister, you don't seriously know anything about this, do you?"

"I might..."

* * *

Even when he had been alive, sleep had been a hard thing to get. Well, at least peaceful sleep. Now was no different. He had the distinct feeling that time had passed, more so than a night's sleep would have afforded him. Then three moons came to him in a dream, telling him to awaken again. He opened his eyes to the dead sky of a realm between the afterlife and of life. Looking around as he sat up on the ornate slab, he noticed that the ring on his hand glowed blue, and the stone seemed to pulsate. In fact, the glow surrounded him and lit up the chamber in which he lay.

A woman stood by his alter, inside his tomb. He knew this woman although it had been a long time since he had ever worshipped her. "Lady Lunitari," he said in even tones. "What makes you disturb my final rest?"

"You don't have a final rest," she said. "Your responsibility was never taken from you. And now you are called to it."

"I see," he said as he stood, somehow not surprised to find that his health was exactly as he left it.

The glow dissipated and he stood there in the Black Robes as he had in the life he had known before falling into the God-induced slumber. His 'reward' for his sacrifice, he remembered them telling him shortly before the all consuming blackness of it had swept away all former knowledge of his life. But now he was awakened.

Raistlin Majere crossed his slender arms, "What 'responsibility'?"

"That of the Miiro, which you are, and your Guardianship of the Blue Star," she answered. "You failed in your last attempt, fell to your temptations, but the title was never stripped from you. Now you will have a chance to redeem yourself. If you want that chance."

He lifted an eyebrow, "How?"

"The Dark Queen has tipped the Greater Balance," she answered.

He leaned back and laughed. After he regained control, "Again? How this time?"

"She kidnapped Palin Majere in the middle of his Test."

Raistlin stopped dead in the middle of his laugh, and he turned to stare at the God in wordless shock. It was rare that he was surprised enough to not have an off color comment, but learning that enough time had passed that his brother had a son old enough for the Test at the tower was a shock to him. "Where? How?" he asked as he took stock of what he had.

"The Wizards of High Sorcery devised a Test in which Palin would be tempted with your history of power, to see if he would follow in his infamous Uncle's footsteps," she answered. "They took him to the doorway of your old lab in Palanthus. The door opened, and he went in. He was never to actually enter, but She altered the Test. Altered it even that he would enter the Abyss, which he did, thinking he was going to find you, and then captured him. She searches for you and did it to lure you out of hiding."

"Well, it certainly worked, didn't it?" his voice held every bit of the bite he was infamous for. "So, now you're going to throw me to her? Maybe get my nephew back in the process? What if he's already dead?"

She shook her head, "Nuitari watches them. She hasn't killed him... yet."

"No, She waits for me," said Raistlin, his voice somber and his eyebrows knitting in thought. "I have a feeling She will wait until I arrive to kill him in front of me. Maybe hurt me, cause me to become emotionally involved... lose control."

He turned to her, "I have everything but my Staff."

"You will have to make do," she and then the Chamber disappeared.

* * *

Palin was strapped to the alter and Takhisis, in her seductress form, paced. While it was amusing to watch a Goddess, and a Greater one at that, pace in frustration, it was also unsettling. "I take it my Uncle isn't coming to my rescue?"

She turned to him, the black depths of her eyes endless, but still held the perplexed expression of someone who just didn't understand why something that was supposed to happen just was not. "If he was in the Abyss, like he should be, he would have been here by now. I would have sensed it. But I sense nothing."

"In other words: he's not even in the Abyss?" Palin ventured to guess.

Well, at least if he survived this he would have some good news for his father. Even though they were sure that Uncle Raistlin had been granted eternal rest for his sacrifice, the rumors had a way of getting to everyone. It was like if you heard something often enough, then just maybe it might be true. In this way, Palin had the truth straight from the very frustrated source...

...If he lived to tell anyone about it.

Suddenly she turned to the door, "I knew you would come."

The doors opened at a snap of her hand and his Uncle, in his black robes, walked in and regarded the scene cooly.

Palin had the very eerie feeling of looking into a mirror. Raistlin Majere, his uncle, looked exactly like him. The only differences was that his hair was a little darker and without the red highlights that Palin had inherited from his mother, his eyes were ice blue where Palin's were soft hazel. He was also a bit thinner and paler.

It was then that Palin realized one thing: His Uncle was without his curse. His eyes were normal, and so was his skin.

His Uncle looked at Palin and evenly said, "I will endeavor to fix this mess the Dark Queen has brought you into, Nephew."

"How touching," she said as she walked to Raistlin. "This from the man who killed his brother during his own Test, all because he had magic you were supposed to have? Had the one thing that made you special?"

If this angered Raistlin at all he was doing a really good job at hiding it, but Palin could see the tenseness in the slender fingers that hadn't been there before, the set of his jaw. It was an interesting cross of how Palin showed his own anger, and of his father Caramon. "I learned my lessons, my Dark Queen. Have you?"

Her eyes flashed and dry thunder boomed across the entirety of the Abyss. "I have learned that to rule I have to remove any stumbling blocks. You are one of them..."

With one push, Raistlin flew across the room to land in a heap of robes. As he struggled to stand, he saw the Dark Queen walk to the alter where Palin was bound. "Don't you touch him!" he shouted. "I'm the one you want! I'm the threat, not he!"

"Oh, but he has the potential and your blood in his veins, Miiro," she said as she brought up her sword over Palin's heart. To Palin she said. "Look around well, for it is the last you will ever see."

"Uncle!" he shouted moments before the sword ran him through.

One convulsive jerk up, then the hazel eyes blanked as he died. Raistlin screamed in denial as something within him surged and the Blue Star responded. Before Palin's soul could be claimed by Takhisis, a force far more powerful swept her aside. Raistlin was dimly aware of a swelling sensation not unlike the first orgasm he had ever felt, then nothing.

The Dark Queen regarded the transformed man in shock. Where Raistlin had stood was a luminous being made of blue light that was sexless, ageless, and contained six wings like a pure white and blue eagle. A kilt of blue light clothed it, and while she tried to contain her shock, the soul of Palin Majere escaped her grasp and into the ethers, and to the afterlife it deserved for a short and innocent existence.

She transformed into her five headed dragon, but the being seemed to engulf her as all the inhabitants of the Abyss turned away from the brightness.

She then recognized the coalescence of the Miiro, the brother of Chaos and of Law, a far greater God than she, of which Raistlin had been a fragment. With that realization she pulled back. Had been? No, was. Raistlin had never died...

When she pulled back the light disappeared.

She cast about, looking for the avatar of Miiro in the form of Raistlin Majere. But he was gone from the Abyss again. She cursed loudly, but returned to her lair. At least she had inflicted a wound upon him. She could be satisfied with that.

* * *

The sound of dripping water woke him and he shook the cobwebs from his thoughts. The Dark Queen! Palin! Raistlin sat bolt upright and immediately regretted it as the dizziness threatened to overwhelm him. He looked around. He wasn't in the Abyss, and definitely not in the Tomb. Looking around he realized he was back on Krynn, and of all places, in his lab in the Tower of High Sorcery in Palanthus.

He groaned as he stood up, trying to remember how he had got here. All he could remember was Palin dying at the hands of Takhisis. He closed in eyes in pain. He had not known the boy for even an hour, but the bravery he had shown in that situation was impressive. He would have made an excellent and gifted wizard. That loss hurt just as much as the thought of having to tell his brother that Palin was dead due to Takhisis wanting to hurt him. Raistlin wasn't even sure on how to say it...

He stumbled over to his lab table, unsteady on his feet. He felt terrible! Like he had drank too much and was just at the point of returning soberness and of a really, really bad hangover. He slid down to sit on the floor again and rubbed his hands over his face and eyes.

The problem still remained on how he had returned to the Prime Material Plane. He didn't remember doing it, nor even how he had escaped the Dark Queen. Raistlin yawned and reflected on the irony of being so very tired even though he had just awoken...

Leaning his head on his white robes... white? Since when did he wear white?... he fell into a deep, dreamless, and restful slumber.

* * *

Dalamar cocked his head as if listening, when a spectral guardian entered. "Master Dalamar, he has returned. You can retrieve him in the lab."

Caramon and Dalamar looked at each other. Dalamar waved his hand over his head once and disappeared. Caramon ran up the stairs to the open lab and walked in. Dalamar was holding two fingers to Palin's neck. "Is he?" Caramon was too afraid to finish his question.

"No, he's still alive. Exhausted from his ordeal, but alive," answered Dalamar.

Caramon lifted his son's sleeping form, and not for the first time marvelled at how he could look so much like Raist that it sometimes was really hard to tell the difference. Dalamar offered, "There is a guest room..."

"I'd really rather not..." said Caramon. "I would be grateful if you do that teleportation thing and just send us home."

Dalamar sighed, then looked at the black mark on Palin's robe. There was a thin hemline, as if woven into the very fabric of Palin's white robe, of black... He smiled, knowing that in the Test Palin had been tempted, but stood up and turned away from the temptation. That he still lived told Dalamar that he had passed and was now a full member of the Order of the White Robes. "Your son passed, Caramon, there is still the induction ceremony," said Dalamar.

"Which he's clearly too tired to attend. Home, please?" Caramon sighed, then relented. "Look, after he's recovered he can attend."

Dalamar nodded once then with one motion over his head, Caramon and Palin disappeared from sight. He walked from the lab and the door slammed shut again. Shrugging, he walked back down to the study.

* * *

When Raistlin awoke again, he was in a soft bed. Sunlight spilled in the windows. In an almost uncharacteristic hedonism, he snuggled in deeper and closed his eyes. A sudden thud and the additional weight on one corner, and his left leg, caused both eyes to spring open to regard two young girls. "You're awake!" said the elder and the younger giggled. "Dad told us to tell him when you woke up."

"Somehow I don't think he meant to wake me," grumbled Raistlin... why did these two seem so familiar?

"Oh come on, Palin," the younger said. "Don't be such a grouch. Just because you're a wizard now doesn't make you..."

She didn't get to finish because she was sitting on the floor as he was sitting upright in the bed. _Palin? They think I'm Palin?_ ran through his mind.

"Dad!" called the elder. "Palin's up!"

Caramon and Tika walked in, and Tika sat on the edge of his bed and kissed him on the cheek. "You look better for your sleep, honey. Are you hungry?"

He blinked in incomprehension. "Wha...? Uh, no..." he finally stammered.

Caramon laughed easily, "He's out for two days and he's not hungry! Come on Palin, you'll be hungry once you smell breakfast."

"Wait!" Raistlin held up his hand and Caramon and Tika looked at him in concern.

"What is it?" asked Tika in concern.

For a moment, if not for the look of love and concern in their faces, Raistlin would have told them the truth. But he couldn't bring himself to. Caramon looked at him with pride and love, and respect, and Tika held the same look. Raistlin swallowed. "I don't know how to put this..."

Caramon walked over and patted him on the leg, "Don't worry, son. Dalamar explained the black line on your robes. We understand you were tempted, but you didn't fall."

Tika put her hand on his hair and kissed the top of his head, "And we're so proud of you. I bet even your Uncle would have been proud of you if he was watching.

_Oh, you really, really have no idea_, he thought. _But now what in the Abyss am I going to say?_ He took a breath and released it in a sigh. Looking at his hands which his nephew had inherited, but never really got to see what they could be capable of, he looked up at them.

They didn't have to know.

Oh, they would still be proud of Palin, but he didn't want to see them mourn. He didn't want to see those little girls cry... He opened his mouth, the terrible truth on them, but instead he said, "Mother, Father, I hope I continue to make you proud of me."

They smiled at him, and Tika said, "That's all we ask. Now, why don't you get dressed in your new robes and see how you look as a full fledged wizard for your brothers and sisters?"

Oh Gods above, what had he just got himself into?

* * *

_TBC...._

* * *

A/N (Miiro): Okay, everyone at the PPC, hopefully I haven't just sent the MS test flying over the top. This was a sick little plot bunny that needed feeding, er, killing (whatever, lol). If you hate it, you'll never see it again. Either way it gets finished, lol. I just hope everyone likes it...

A/N (Terrence): In other words, she's a review/feedback slut, lol....


	3. Merciful Deception

_A/N_: From this point on, I refer to Raistlin as 'Palin', as that's what he's trying to pull off anyway.

* * *

Chapter Two  
Merciful Deception

* * *

After awhile Raistlin got used to be being Palin. He had no other way to describe it. While he nearly caught himself calling Caramon by name, or worse yet 'My Brother', he was entirely too used to Palin's way of life. His nephew had it easy. Two parents that loved him dearly, two brothers and two sisters.

Granted, the two sisters were driving him crazy, but he could learn to live with little sisters. After being regarded as the 'youngest' for years, it was a refreshing change to be the elder. "Now, Dezra, it's not that bad."

"But Palin... the boat could tip..." pointed out a brother. "And Dezra can't swim."

Palin bit off the really sarcastic reply that had been on his tongue, and instead said, "Then I think it's time she learned how. Go get our sister, I have a feeling that if you don't know how to swim yet, then neither does she."

His elder brother, Sturm, followed him out. When they reached the shores of Crystalmir Lake he stripped down to his light pants and took off his boots. This raised an eyebrow from Sturm who watched Palin wade out. Dezra followed, dressed only in a short tunic and pants. Palin began to tread water, and let himself float on his back. Dezra stood there and watched him. "Now, lesson one. How to float. Just lean back and relax. Take a breath and hold it. That will keep you on the water..."

She took a breath, leaned back, and picked her feet off the bottom. Almost instinctively she treaded water like him, if a bit rapidly, but managed to keep afloat. When she realized she wasn't going to drown, she relaxed and floated a bit more on the surface. Raistlin smiled. Okay, so this was one less family member he had to worry about. He stood up and supported her as he said, "Now, try it on your stomach..."

Dezra slowly flipped over until she was on her stomach in the water. Raistlin kept her from going under and when he was satisfied that she wasn't going to sink, let her go. She paddled around, and then yelled out, "Look, Father, Palin taught me to swim!"

Raistlin actually smiled a little as he looked up at his worried brother. Dezra swam into shore and then ran onto the beach and pulled on Caramon, "Come on, it's fun."

"Yeah, I know it is, I think I hear your Mother calling you," he said as Raistlin, dripping wet and a bit cold, also came out of the water. "Palin, I have to say I'm a bit... surprised... at your patience with your sister."

Raistlin shrugged but filed that one away for future reference. "I needed a bath, and she didn't know how to swim. I figured it would be a good time for her to learn."

Caramon followed him back to the Inn of the Last Home in silence. For a moment, Raistlin was sure that he knew. He had to. For all the Gods sake, how could he not? Palin was his son, and Raistlin was, after all his twin. Could he see the differences that Raistlin, and indeed Palin, had noticed on seeing each other in the Abyss? A moment later, Caramon shrugged and threw an arm around Raistlin's shoulders with a hearty gaffaw, "And to think, your mother and I have been trying to get you to be more patient with them."

Raistlin stopped and looked at his brother in sadness, "Am I really that much of a loner?"

Caramon, for his part, knew that after the Test his son was different. Sadder, more mature. Granted, nothing like how Raistlin had been, but considering that Palin still was a White Robe, he guessed that Palin had been tested severely and passed where Raistlin had fallen. But the distressed expression was new, for either of them. Caramon stopped where he was walking. He had only ever seen his brother look at him like that and it had been after the deaths of their mother. It was entirely eerie. It was like he had been swept back into that time. Hell, he even felt like saying something to him like he would have said to Raistlin.

But this wasn't Raistlin. This was his son, Palin.

* * *

Hours later and changed into fresh robes, Raistlin stared down at the thin black stripe along the hem of the white robe. It was there to remind him of the thin razor sharp edge he now walked to hold up the merciful deception. To remind him of what would happen if he fell again. He looked up to the three moons and put his hands on either side of the window. He could still see Nuitari clearly and so was still claimed by the Dark.

But even he could admit that every passing day the dark shape of Nuitari was getting hard to see and soon he would not see it at all if he continued this new path.

He closed his eyes.

Raistlin had never, ever considered when he left the Red Robes behind to become a renegade Black Robe that he would be welcome in the Tower of Wayreth again. And now the Council of Wizards, and Justarius, was making it clear that he should come to join his place as part of them.

He snorted, amused, in the thought of it. For a moment he was nervous. Would they see through the facade? Any wizard worth their mettle would have to see that he was far higher in skills than a fledgling wizard really should be.

Raistlin walked down the stairs, cloak in hand and a plain staff strapped to his back. Either way he was far overdue to head there. Caramon, and half of the patrons in the common room, looked up at his entrance. Tika closed her eyes and looked down at the floor. Raistlin looked around one last time, before donning the cloak and walking out into the night.

This was where he should have belonged, where he would have walked without a second thought in the world but now it seemed almost too dark even for him.

He walked down to the ground and from the stable picked out Palin's horse and saddled it.

Movement at the stable doors alerted him to his brother's presences. "Palin, where are you going?" asked Sturm.

Raistlin said, "You don't have to come with me. I wouldn't blame you, or make you if you didn't want to go."

He almost added, _Not that I really want you to come with me and learn the true fate of your brother before I can tell you. Not like this_...

..._Or watch me get hamstrung for_ daring_ to walk Krynn again_...

But he watched as they saddled their horses. Dezra handed them each a bag of trailbread as they rode out in silence, Raistlin in the lead. When they had almost ridden out of sight, Raistlin looked back to see in the doorway of the Inn of the Last Home two figures outlined in the light from the doorway. Then he turned to face the path away with a small sigh. So this was what it was like to not only leave with brothers who loved, but didn't smother, and two parents who, while concerned, knew when boys became men...

For some reason Raistlin missed what life had been like before his fall. With a sad smile. _Maybe this time I can make up for the time lost_...

He never even noticed as the black line on the hem thinned and faded from ebony to a dark grey.

* * *

It wasn't a very long journey to the Tower of Sorcery in Wayreth Forest, but it was as hard as Raistlin remembered. His nephews seemed to get nervous when the trail appeared out of nowhere and a bit surprised at his calm. "Hey, Palin, are you sure this is the way?" came Tanin's voice from behind him.

Raistlin turned to them and nodded, "We are invited."

The three rode in silence until the trees of Wayreth could be seen. Raistlin found himself instantly thinking about the first time he had seen the great trees.

Invited.

It was a bit unsettling to ride under their boughs. Raistlin touched the ring on his finger, moving the stone around and into his palm so that it appeared to be only a golden ring. He had learned a long time ago that when the stone was hidden in his hand the ring appeared as a simple gold ring, of no magic and of no consequence.

Almost as if it knew to hide itself from sight. He had no doubt that the ring was magic enough, holy enough, to actually be intelligent in it's own right. Often enough it was the whispering conscience that kept him from doing a great many things that would have damned him beyond redemption. It also seemed to warn of dangers, of things that would kill him.

He rode quietly, wondering if Justarius and the others would see his thin deception. He found this worried him even more than of what they would do if they did know. A short moment later they were at the gates and a lone red robe opened them to admit the trio into the courtyard. A familiar voice called out, "It's nice to see that you're not too unlike your Uncle in that respect, Palin."

Raistlin looked up at his former apprentice, Dalamar.

Dalamar looked at who he thought as Palin. Now that he had the chance to truly see Palin in the daylight he saw that Palin and Raistlin were more twins in appearance than Caramon and Raistlin had been. Palin had the same shape, the same long fingers, the same almost disdainful look on his face. Then again, that could be due to the fact that he was a White Robe. Who knew?

For his part, Raistlin looked at his former apprentice, who, over the years had grown into a more adult elf. "I don't know what you mean," said Raistlin.

Dalamar's eyes thinned in momentary suspicion, and Raistlin took a breath and held it. He knew that this was the test of how well he was doing as Palin. Suddenly Dalamar seemed to shake himself, "Now I know why your father was so dead set against you becoming a wizard. I look forward to seeing you grow into your skills, Palin Majere."

Raistlin inwardly sighed in relief, knowing how close he had been to being caught.

* * *

Dalamar walked into Justarius' suite in the Tower of Wayreth after being admitted to it. Inclining his head in respect, he said, "The young Majere his here with his two elder brothers."

Justarius looked from the window and to Dalamar, "Amazing how genetics work. Here is a prime example. I remember Raistlin before his Test. When Palin rode in I had to remind me that he was a nephew, so much alike they look. There was no adverse to the Test after the Disruption, you say?"

"I am fairly certain of it," answered Dalamar. "There is no doubt that whatever happened in there tested him. His attitude coming out was definitely more mature than going in."

Dalamar frowned. "I can't help but wonder what happened in there. The Guardians refuse to tell me, almost as if they are afraid to. I still can't enter the lab, so I am still not the true Master of the Tower. Who can say? Perhaps Palin's met his Uncle and it was not the reunion he expected."

"I can definitely agree with that thought," Justarius pulled the curtain back. "I see he still wears the White Robes, though."

"Except for one thing," Dalamar walked to the window and pointed down. "His robes are white except for the thin band of black on the hem of the robe and sleeves. Everything he will wear will be forever tainted like that. I think more happened than we care to admit in his Test. He is walking a thin line, and that serves as his reminder...."

* * *

They were ushered into a receiving area and their cloaks taken. Raistlin stood with either brother flanking him. It had been many years since he had been in Wayreth. In fact, he could only think of one visit in his entire life. A black robe came out and said, "Dalamar would have a word with you before you meet with Justarius."

"Of course," Raistlin smiled a bit.

He might have known he would not escape his apprentice's attention. Drawing himself up to his full height and determined that if he was to be punished he would take it like a Majere. Tanin and Sturm started to follow, but the same Black Robe said, "Alone, Majere."

Raistlin turned to them and said, "Why don't you see after our horses? I should be back shortly."

Tanin nodded then walked out with Sturm.

* * *

Tanin, once they were at the stables, asked, "Why do I get the feeling that Palin expects to be punished or something?"

Sturm looked at Tanin, "You got that feeling from him too, eh? I don't know. Something happened during that Test. Even father was scared when they brought him back..."

* * *

Raistlin followed the Black Robe up stairs and around corridors. Finally she stopped at a door and knocked. Pushing the door open, she beckoned for Raistlin to enter. He did, and stopped just inside the door. Dalamar turned from the window, "Palin, nice of you to come up. Would you like some wine?"

"No," answered Raistlin. "I still have a meeting with Justarius. Perhaps after."

"How much like your Uncle you are," said Dalamar as he sat in a chair.

Perhaps it was the way that Dalamar sat, perhaps in his entire attitude, but at that precise moment Raistlin realized that he had not figured anything out at all. The secret was still safe. Suspicious the Dark Elf might be, but not about who actually stood in his chambers wearing White Robes and going by the name Palin Majere. _So, this is how you act when I don't see you, apprentice_, thought Raistlin darkly. _Enjoy it while you can, because it won't be long_.

For a moment the battle of wills played out. Raistlin allowed himself a small inward smile of satisfaction as Dalamar turned away with vague surprise when he lost. "May I ask why you called me here?"

Dalamar turned back to him, "I never really got the chance to talk to you before. You were too wrapped up with your Test. With your father being so close I figured it would not be a good idea to test a theory."

"And what theory would that be?"

"How much like your Uncle you are, of course," said Dalamar. "To see if, after your Test, if your would be interested in apprenticing under me in the Tower, your Uncle's Tower, in Palanthas."

Raistlin blinked in surprise. Then again, maybe he wasn't all that surprised. Surprised at Dalamar's gall. "Even though I am quite obviously a Wizard under Solinari? I never realized Nuitari was so short on followers, Dalamar," said Raistlin with a small chortle.

If Dalamar thought it odd to be answered like an equal, he said nothing. "Are you?" Dalamar pointed to the black hem on Raistlin's robe. "If you were, that wouldn't be there to remind you of the very thin line you walk. It seems, unlike most wizards, if you slip up, Lunitari won't even catch you and Solinari will forsake you, but one will answer your call to magic. I bet you can even see the Dark Moon, _White Robe_."

Raistlin's eyes thinned and for a moment he would stuck down Dalamar where he stood for suggesting that someone so good like Palin could fall. Not only was he surprised at his willingness to defend Palin, but Dalamar's eyes were wide in shock.

Raistlin looked at his hands and saw they were clenched, but more than that...

... they were gold.

"Sha... _Shalafi?!_" came Dalamar's choked cry. "You're alive!"

Then he whispered, "Are you _insane_? If they find out you're here, they will _kill_ you."

Raistlin regained his composure and the gold faded. "That's why you are not going to say anything."

"I don't understand," said Dalamar. "How... is such a thing possible?"

"Palin Majere is dead," began Raistlin. "The Dark Queen lured him into the Abyss. When he entered she was waiting. He lived long enough for me to find them, then she killed him."

For a moment Raistlin was quiet as he looked out the window, "I have no idea how I came to be on the floor of my own lab, alive and wearing the robes of Solinari. I think Lunitari had something to do with it, but I have no proof."

"How much can you remember?"

Raistlin shook his head, "Not much, I'm afraid. Someone, or something, blocked my memory. Perhaps to spare me, or perhaps even them."

"Then why the charade?" asked Dalamar. "Unless, you have some plan..."

Raistlin laughed hollowly, "No plan. In fact, I nearly told my brother the truth when I came to in Solace. But I didn't. There was something in his eyes... he was so proud of Palin. I didn't have the heart to tell them the truth."

He turned to a disbelieving Dalamar, "That's it?"

"And what in the Abyss is wrong with that? I gave up victory over the Dark Queen to save Krynn from the destruction that I would have caused," Raistlin rolled his eyes. "Is it so hard to believe that I would give up my name and live as someone else to spare a family their grief?"

"From you, yes," said Dalamar matter of factly.

Raistlin snorted then said, "I have stayed here too long and Justarius is waiting. One more thing, _apprentice_, I want my staff. I am sure the Guardian will let you pass if only to let you bring that to me in Solace."

"Yes... Palin."

As Raistlin left, he couldn't stifle the small smile on his lips. The same Black Robe guided him to Justarius's chambers. Suddenly realizing that the slightest slip in control and temper would bring back the curse, if that was what it was, into full force he resolved then and there not to ever let his temper get the better of him.

Justarius sat at a table with a White Robe with dark skin. Suddenly Raistlin hoped that he would have to remember said White Robe's name. He bowed to both. "Dunbar tells me that Dalamar called you to meet with him first," stated Justarius. "What, pray tell, would he want?"

"Need we ask?" said the White Robe, Dunbar. "Let me guess, Palin, he called on your family loyalty, perhaps even some pride, to tell you that if you wanted it the Tower of High Sorcery in Palanthas would be yours. But, oh yes, you would have to be evil like your Uncle Raistlin. Perhaps tried to lure you into it by telling you that at least he would be proud of you."

"With respect," began Raistlin, holding up one slender hand. "I serious doubt that my... Uncle... would be proud if I fell to the same temptations he did. Actually, I would think he would be quite the opposite."

They raised their eyebrows. "Really?" Justarius asked as he leaned back in his chair. "What makes you say that."

Raistlin thought for a moment, trying to not only put the truth in Palin's words, but also convey what he himself would have thought had Palin allied with darkness. Finally, the words came, "He told me so himself, moments after I didn't fall to temptation."

So much had been true. Raistlin had been proud of the way Palin refused to beg for mercy from Takhisis. Refused to make any deals for his life, or power. Refused to fall, but willing to die for ideals that perhaps Raistlin should have been. Raistlin had a feeling he knew exactly what Palin would have told Fistandantilus if he had have been truly given Raistlin's Test.

And Raistlin would have stood and watched in pride, even as the same fireball that turned his own skin gold, taken Palin in his final glory. But perhaps even then Palin had as much in common: In which case Palin's shade of gold would have been untarnished and pure.

But... thanks to Takhisis... that was a moot point. Raistlin, even as he had screamed his fury at the Dark Queen for killing his nephew had felt his heart swell at Palin's stoic calm.

The two wizards could not have known this. They had not seen. Only Raistlin, the Dark Queen, and the Gods of Magic had seen.

And then Raistlin had woken on the floor of his lab... with everyone thinking he was Palin.

Justarius and Dunbar looked at each other, and with a slight motion of his hand, pointed to the hem of Raistlin's robe. "What of that, Majere?"

"I nearly did fall, but in the end I did not," answered Raistlin, lying this time. "The hem reminds of what I nearly did do."

Actually it was: _It reminds me of what will happen again if I fail this time around_.

But Raistlin was determined not to fail. This time if he did, he not only failed himself and tarnished his own reputation, but as Palin he brought him down with him. Perhaps even the rest of the Majere family. This time there was far more than himself at stake and if he had to sacrifice himself to redeem Palin, then so he would.

He owed his nephew that much for failing to rescue him, for putting him the danger to begin with. Dunbar nodded his head, "Was this before or after you met Raistlin?"

"Before," answered Raistlin, who sat down to begin his tale.

* * *

The sun was setting by the time an exhausted Raistlin found his way back out to the courtyard where his nephews waited for him. "Palin, are you all right?" asked Sturm.

Raistlin smiled and nodded, "Yes, it was just a long day. I guess, thanks to our Uncle, my Test was a little different than the norm."

"So, what happens now? Can we go home?" asked Tanin.

"Yes," answered Raistlin. "Let's."

Sturm went to get the three horses, which were refreshed and eager to leave the enchanted wood and its Tower. Just as Raistlin mounted, an elven voice called out, "_Diyas gola Nela. Tal rashin ila Shalafi_."

The three turned to face Dalamar who held out a long package that was about six feet in length and, due to the wrapping, about three inches thick. "What'd he say, Palin?" whispered Tanin.

"The Gods of Magic go with you. My Master sends you a gift," answered Raistlin as he deftly took the package from Dalamar's hands. "_Sola_."

Dalamar bowed then retreated back into the Tower. Raistlin said, "I would rather open this later, perhaps in the comfort of an Inn down the road, eh?"

The two smiled in agreement and they rode away. A few hours later, and many hours away from Wayreth, they found an Inn to stay the night. Once the room was rented, the three sat in their room as Raistlin unwrapped the package. The two brothers sucked in a gasp, and Sturm said, "So that's what he meant by 'a gift from his Master'."

Raistlin held the Staff of Magius to him, then leaned upon it a bit. "_Shirak_."

The orb lit the room brighter than the candles. "_Dulak_," the light of the staff went out and he looked at them. "This changes things, you know."

* * *

Thank you to everyone who reviewed!

MysticDragonstar: I think GM's as a rule are demented. Why else would they GM/DM?

Guan: the humor is a hard thing to carry off without getting silly. I have to really, really watch or it gets stupid. It will get serious, though. This is a lighthearted beginning.

Chetwynd: I don't think he's going to, but he will try for Palin. And yes, Blue Star is mine. This is it's sequel, or it's the prequel to this.... Blue Star was one of those stories that got away from me and got silly too fast and the actual story was lost. I will repost once I rework it to be the way I wanted it.

A/N from Terrence: We're happy people are reading this! We love the reviews, it feeds our egos.


	4. Camadrie

Chapter Three  
Camadrie

* * *

_A few weeks later_

Raistlin was as relieved as Tanin and Sturm when they finally caught sight of Crystalmir Lake and the huge vallenwoods. Sliding off the horse as they were a day out still, he said, "I think we could use a well-deserved rest."

Tanin slid off his horse. Just as he hit the ground an arrow buried itself right in front of Raistlin's foot. "Aye, and a good time for a rest, it be, wizard. Now, why don't you tell your other guard to get off his horse, too?"

Raistlin said to a reluctant Sturm, "Get off your horse."

"But Pal–"

"Now!" he tried to keep his voice from his usual sharpness, but didn't succeed.

Sturm clambered down from the horse and stood on the ground. "Better," came the voice again. "Now, throw down your weapons."

At this Raistlin hesitated, "You would deprive me of my support?"

"You can stand well enough on your own two feet, I saw you," said the voice of the bandit. "Or mayhaps you would prefer an arrow in your leg to make it a necessity?"

The two brothers moved it front of Raistlin, but Raistlin already had his right hand held up in preparation of a spell. Darts of purple flew towards the speaker, and with a grunt he stopped speaking. Arrows started to rain down, but Raistlin already was in the midst of another spell.

"_Ast uli strol arol_!" he yelled out as the protective spell took hold.

Repeating it twice more, the same glow surrounded the two brothers. Tanin looked at him with a curious expression, but was soon finding himself in the midst of a battle when the bandits realized that the arrows now had no effect. Allowing himself a quick smirk for thinking of using_ Protection from Normal Missiles_, and then swung his staff in an arc to fend off the bandit.

Shortly after it began the battle was over. Raistlin stared down at the blank eyes of the dead bandit that had his skull cracked open when the Staff of Magius had arced down to strike a blow squarely on the top of his head. The face was of a young man barely into adulthood. _Such a waste_... Raistlin bent down and closed the boy's eyes with a small sigh as he ran his other hand down his own face.

"Are you all right, Palin?" asked Sturm.

"Yes," answered Raistlin as he grasped the Staff.

Raistlin mounted his horse and said, "Perhaps this isn't such a great place to camp after all. Come on, let's just go home."

Tanin watched him silently. Never before had he seen magic like that, especially from Palin. Now, while he knew that Palin had likely been holding back what he could do until after the Test, but even he knew that there was no way that Palin should have been able to cast the spells that he had.

Especially three times in a row.

Granted, that had saved them from a serious wounding, perhaps even death. He shook that thought off. If he wasn't Palin, then who in the Abyss was he truly? _Stop that_, he chided himself. _You're being paranoid. Of course it's Palin. You're just being oversensitive!_

One hard ride through pitch dark, lit only by the light of the Staff of Magius, and in the morning three utterly exhausted young men arrived in Solace. Dismounting and taking the horses into the stable, Tanin listened as Palin talked to their father. Sturm had already left, presumably to bed. "You're bleeding," said Caramon. "What happened?"

"A group of bandits attacked while we were setting up camp about a twelve hour ride from here," answered Palin, then, as if to placate their father, his voice timbre changed. "Don't worry. We are not hurt. In fact, I should think the bandits came out worse for wear."

"How many were there?"

"Only five," and was that a snort from Palin.

_Only five, brother_, thought Tanin, knowing full well that there had been many more. And if Palin was calling what they had 'only'... but he listened, whispering to the horses to be quiet so that he could hear. He closed his eyes. There was just something off about Palin. Tanin cursed. There could only be one explanation.

The man out there, the wizard, was not his younger brother Palin. He carried himself with too much experience, too much maturity. Too calm. Then there was the concern about the skills. He stilled himself as he listened. Now that he was listening for differences, there was a definite accent to the voice, it was a bit... cultured. A bit biting, too. It was extremely subtle but Palin had certainly never talked to Caramon like that; like he was equal or used to giving orders and having them followed.

_Who in the Abyss _are_ you?_ thought Tanin questioningly, curiously. If the man wore White Robes, it meant he followed the Gods of Good. He tried to place the accent. It sounded sort of like that Dalamar character, only without the elven accent like Tanis. Not to mention that Dalamar had been a bit deferential to him. Kind of like... Justarius. Palanthas! It had to be a Palanthian accent. But there were no White Robes in Palanthas...

Then little inconsquential things began to add together. First, there was the Staff. A gift from their Uncle, eh? Tanin didn't think so. He rather suspected that Palin had ordered Dalamar to bring him the Staff. That left only one person on Krynn...

Who in the Abyss indeed! Tanin sucked in a breath. No. He's dead. It couldn't be. But the more he listened the more his heartbeat began to race. If he was here then where was Palin? And why the charade?

The first instinct was to run to his mother and tell her. Then he realized, that like his father, she believed that he was Palin. They would never believe him, and then Raistlin would know. And somehow he had a feeling that getting on his Uncle's bad side would be a very, very bad thing indeed.

Tanin finished with the horses then came out to see his father and Uncle. Stopping he now could see the similiarities, but also the differences. Raistlin's hair was dark and, if you looked close, was more a deep, deep chestnut brown with golden highlights than Palin's lighter, but also dark brown and red hair. Raistlin also was paler where Palin had always had a light tan. Raistlin looked as if he hadn't seen sun in a while. He was also far thinner than Palin, with more graceful features. Tanin wondered how much of their Aunt Kitiara was in Raistlin.

But damn, they even moved the same. It was no wonder none of them had connected it. Palin and Raistlin, when nervous, did the same little figity twitch with toying with the hem of their sleeves with their arms crossed. They looked over at Tanin, and Caramon smiled, "Palin tells me you had quite the adventure."

"Um, yeah," said Tanin looking from his father to his Uncle. "It was certainly that. But if it weren't for Palin's spells we would have rather dead by now."

Caramon looked at Raistlin and poked him in the ribs. It was funny how Raistlin seemed a bit more... nicer than everyone told Tanin he would be. He followed them up the stairs and into the Inn of the Last Home's common room. Raistlin seemed to stop dead when the full force of the activity and the noise hit him like a wall.

He took a breath, and seeing that 'look' from his nephew, steeled himself and walked in. Tanin had been watching him ever since the last battle. He hoped it didn't mean what he thought it meant. "Palin?" said Tanin suddenly.

"Yes?"

"Can I talk to you?"

"Yes," said Raistlin cautiously as he followed Tanin back out and down to the stables again.

Finally, when there, he watched Tanin pace as he tried to find the words, "You are not Palin."

"Oh?" Drat. It was what he suspected. "Then who am I?"

"I don't know how, and I only suspect when, but I think you're my Uncle Raistlin."

Raistlin was quick. Tanin had to give him that. In one quick motion, Raistlin had turned back to his gold skin and white hair in a twitch of one eye and Tanin found himself against a wall with Raistlin's golden skinned hand on his mouth. The look in the gold eyes were of a mix of anger and concern, "Don't ever speak that name aloud. Do I make myself clear?"

Tanin nodded and Raistlin turned back to the normal looking Palin look-a-like. Or, now that he had seen Raistlin, it was the other way around...? "Why?"

"I did it to protect you all," he answered.

Tanin blinked. "Okay, I'll bite that, for now. How about when?"

"During the Test. The Dark Queen interfered to lure me... ah... our Uncle out of hiding. Oh, it worked. But then he killed..." Raistlin stopped and let his head drop in regret. "I failed him as I failed my brother. I don't really remember how, but I woke up for a few minutes on the floor of my lab. I guess a few days later I woke here, and everyone thought me your brother. I saw the pride, and their love, and I couldn't tell them what truly happened."

Tanin could only stare in disbelief, "Palin... Palin died?"

Raistlin nodded, "She killed him, all to hurt me. Oh, and it worked. But I was so proud of him. You know he never once begged for his life? Or tried to bargain for it?"

Tanin sat down in the hay, and the soft voice of his Uncle said with surprising softness, "I'm sorry I disappointed you."

Standing again Tanin embraced his Uncle in a tight hug, burying his head in the rough fabric of his White Robe before breaking into tears over his brother, and of relief in finding that his long thought dead Uncle was alive. For a long moment, Raistlin wasn't sure what to do. No one had ever sought consolation from him. He looked around, his arms up, but not touching his nephew. He felt for him, as his grief over his brother was to be expected. Raistlin put his hands around his nephew's shoulder's and said, "You'll see him again, someday. Perhaps he even watches over you." _Okay, now what should I say?_ Something prodded him in the right direction. "He wouldn't want you to grieve, I think he would want you to be happy."

Finally Tanin moved out of his Uncle's arms and Raistlin looked at Tanin, his hands still on his shoulders. "Now, listen to me. You can't tell anyone about me. The minute you do, I'm dead. The Wizards of Wayreth will be on me within days, and trust me, they won't be above hamstringing me in the middle of town square, got it?"

Tanin nodded. "What about father?"

"Nor him," answered Raistlin. "He's too honest. Now, come on, all it would take is one person asking how his son the wizard is, and he would crack. You and I both know that."

Finally, he got a nod out of Tanin, "Now, I think I hear someone on the stairs, we should head back. Oh, and that stirrup on Sturm's horse could use mending, by the way."

"Um... where are we going after we rest up?" asked Tanin as Sturm came in.

Looking at Sturm and Tanin, he answered, "I'm not sure. I guess we could stay for awhile, unless there was somewhere you two want to see."

"Well, I just thought that wizards had to travel to get better at their art," said Tanin curiously.

Raistlin laughed, "No, that's the bards. Until I find a Master to tie myself down with, I'm free to go where I choose. But after I'll be tied down to what my Master does."

There was two very confused gazes. "Apprenticeship," he answered with a shrug. "Until I find a Master that will take me, I am pretty well left to my own devices."

They nodded in understanding. "Father says he would like to head to Haven for a small shopping trip," pointed out Sturm. "I would like to go with him. Any takers?"

Tanin and Raistlin looked at each other and it was Raistlin who answered, "I think I'll pass. It's almost summer I noticed I didn't plant a herb garden yet. If I want spell components and not have to buy them, I really should."

"Okay, any requests on seeds?" asked Sturm, and Raistlin suddenly realized that Sturm was likely who Palin sent for such things.

"Uh, yes. Marjoram, rosemary," Raistlin ticked them all off mentally. "Actually, give me a second to think on that one."

Sturm turned to Tanin, "So, what about you?"

"I'll pass too. Palin might need something in the way of brute strength, or a errand runner, or Mother will filet me... you know, the same old," Tanin said drily.

Raistlin caught himself before he might have said what he used to say to Caramon, and in so doing caught not only the tone that it was said, but also the last bit of Tanin's comment. For a moment, he simply sputtered, but a sly smile spread across his features. "Oh? That time of the month again?" he said, also drily.

The two elder brothers, especially Tanin, stared at him, then cracked up laughing. Raistlin couldn't help himself but snickered softly along with them. He had to admit that this second chance was significantly better than the last.

* * *

The bandit from the fight limped back to the hideout. When he limped in, the leader asked, "Where're the others?"

"Dead, Regnar," he answered. "All of them. I barely escaped with my life. I had to fake that I was dead when the wizard knifed me."

This brought murmurs, and Regnar silenced them all with a sharp sweep of his hand, "Wizard, you say? Did you catch his name?"

"Yeah, his name's Palin, and his two brothers or bodyguards are Sturm and Tanin," he answered.

Regnar leaned back, "You ran into the three sons of Caramon Majere?"

The surviving bandit's eyes went wide. "You're tellin' me that I had a run in with a Majere wizardling? He could have fooled me. Took out our half-orc with one spell. There was nothing left but his boots, and they were crispy!"

Regnar lifted a brow, "Well, duh. He's the nephew of Raistlin Majere. What in the Abyss do you expect. Well, he kilt me brother. We'll just have to kill him."

* * *

Raistlin spend the better part of the morning of the next day after Caramon and Sturm left just planning where things would go. Tika had graciously allowed him a sizable plot so long as he held to his usual deal; half of his edible herbs were used for cooking in the Inn. Half of said herbs, if dried properly, would last the Inn a year. The other half would last Raistlin, if he was frugal, far longer than that such was the size of his plot.

And so he planned. He decided to split the garden in half and clearly mark what was the edible side and what was not. Then he had to think of a 'wind wall' to prevent cross breeding, which, if mixed between a species poisonous and not would not only create a hybrid that wouldn't be predictable in magic, but could also be hazardous to one's health. Finally, with tablet in hand he walked back up the stairs of the Inn. Walking through the common room and greeting those who greeted him, he went into his bedroom and sighed in the quiet. Opening the shutters to let in some sunlight he sat down at his desk and opened one of Palin's spellbooks.

Oh, by all the Gods of Magic... he could only stare, then close the book and sigh. No wonder Tanin had figured him out. Palin had a collection of maybe four spells, and not one of them being _Protection from Normal Missiles_. Not only that but none of them were anywhere remotely close to what Raistlin knew. Raistlin cursed. At least he had one more memorized use of it. Taking a quill pen in his hand and some ink, he sat quietly for a second and began to write the words of magic in the book, speaking aloud the words of the spell as he did so.

Once finished he watched as the magic flames burnt the words into the thick paper, and knew that he had successfully copied the spell into his own spellbook. Granted, that meant that he now did not have that spell memorized any more, but at least he could do it again. Deciding to lock the door, he sat down and began at the lowest of his own spells to copy out. Once he had gone through the entirety of the book, he rubbed his eyes, and looked out into the now darkening sky.

Standing up, and grasping the table from the sudden dizziness, he slowly made it to the door and unlocked it. Afterwards he sat back down heavily. Tanin came in and ran over in concern, "Are you all right?"

"Yes, just tired," he answered, then smiled and pointed to the books on the table. "I just spent the day copying my spells that I have memorized into that book so that if I use them, I can memorize them again."

"Mother was concerned, but I'll just tell her you were studying," said Tanin. "I'll be right back."

About ten minutes later, Tanin came back with a concerned Tika who first sat down a full tray of food, then turned to him, "Palin, you know better than to overtax yourself. Young you may be, but a archmage you are not," at these words from Tika, Raistlin tried to ignore Tanin's roll of the eyes and his not so well hidden smirk. "Now, when Tanin brings these down, I hope to see that you ate every last bite."

With that she left the room. Tanin closed the door and Raistlin stared ruefully at the tray of food. "I have no idea how I'm going to eat all of that," he looked up at Tanin. "Unless you help me."

"No! She'll know I did when it ruins my own dinner and she'll flay both of us," said Tanin.

Raistlin sighed and began to at least try some of it. One bite turned into two, and slowly he picked his way through the tray. Drinking the wine he leaned back in his chair and said, "I've had enough."

Tanin smirked, "You couldn't eat it all, eh?"

"Okay, I can eat it all, but I don't think I'll be eating for next week. I am so full, I feel like a dragon after it gorged," said Raistlin with a yawn. "And just as sleepy. I guess she knew I would..."

"Yup, Palin does..." Tanin stopped, then finished more quietly. "...Used to do the same thing."

Tanin picked up the tray as Raistlin wobbled over to the bed and fairly collapsed into it, just having enough energy to peel of the robes and kick off his boots, belt and slide the Dagger of Magius under his pillow before sleep claimed him.

* * *

_A/N_

_Miiro_: I had to introduce the plot somewhere in here, lol.

_Terrence_: Raistlin is just beginning to see how hard it is to keep it a secret even as he falls into his role a bit more. The next question is - how will he hold his alignment?


	5. The Journey Finally Begins

Chapter Four

The Journey Finally Begins

* * *

_A week later_

Raistlin was relaxing for once. He had finally been able to copy all of his memorized spells into the spell book. Once that was done, the spells he did not know in Palin's spell book he copied into his own and then set Palin's respectably away. He allowed himself a moment of regret. Caramon walked in and asked, "Oh, you have a new spell book. What was wrong with the old one?"

"... Things change, Father," he answered sadly. "It didn't feel right. And this way I have a time capsule to remind me of how far I came to get here."

Caramon was also silent, as if sensing the mood in the room for the regrets that palled his son. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Raistlin turned to regard his brother, and with his face turned obliquely he really looked at his brother. Caramon had aged, but Raistlin supposed children did that. If he should be so lucky to gain the laugh lines from children that Caramon wore proudly. One more regret to add to the swiftly growing pile. "No," he answered in a low, near whisper.

"What will you do now?"

Raistlin turned back to the window where the three moons hung. Solinari seemed to be waning, and... he sucked in a breath then looked down at the hem of his robe. He backed away from the window and sat down heavily in the chair. Caramon got up anxiously, "What is it?"

Mutely, Raistlin pointed to the hem of his robe. Where the borders of his sleeves and the bottom of the robe had been black as Nuitari's dark side, now they were grey with a satiny red filigree. Caramon looked up at him, "Uh, wasn't that black before?"

Nodding, still in wordless shock. "Before... while I couldn't see it clearly... I could see the shadow of Nuitari. Now, all traces are gone in the night sky to me except of where he would be and where that moon blots out the stars," Raistlin looked up to the luminous red moon. "But now I see... it not."

Caramon looked at his son, finally comprehending. "That means that you are... redeeming where you nearly fell?"

"More than you know, more than you know," mused Raistlin.

* * *

_The next day_

The warmth of the sun filtering in between the shutters warmed Raistlin's face before he awoke, and given that he had stayed up late to make sure that his books were in order, he stayed asleep.

Tanin gently closed the door, fairly certain that he hadn't disturbed his Uncle's rest. If Raistlin and Palin had been anything alike, the next morning after a late study session would mean that his head would feel stuffed full of cotton batting and he would have a bit of a headache from all the thinking. He walked quietly down the steps and into the common room.

His father looked up at his entrance, "Palin still asleep?"

"Hmm?" Tanin looked up, then remembered his conversation with Raistlin. "Yes, he is."

"I would guess he's tired. He studied late," Caramon chuckled. "So much like Raistlin, except so different."

"Different? How?" asked Tanin, sitting on one of the stools across from his father at the bar.

"Well, Palin is..." Caramon thought for a moment. "Palin does things for other people more than himself. Raistlin was the opposite. Oh, he would help you, if there was something to be gained by it. Well, perhaps that's unfair. His acts of kindness were completely random, but held no less meaning than do Palin's. But, now that I think on it, after the Test he became more and more heartless and uncaring."

Tanin leaned back on the stool in thought. "Did... did you love him any less?"

"Oh, Gods no," said Caramon. "I loved him more, thinking that if I flooded him with love perhaps he could change. Could perhaps let himself feel love. But, he felt the opposite. Like I was smothering him, choking him worse than his health." Sadly Caramon looked at Tanin. "Perhaps... he didn't want to get hurt. He was a very sensitive person. In that Palin and he are alike. Perhaps he forced himself to become callous in order for life not to hurt."

* * *

At the top of the stairs, Raistlin leaned against the wall and listened to his brother, eyes vaguely glassy. He had been on his way down for something for breakfast, and something for his headache when he had heard his name being spoken. Stopping to listen as Caramon told Tanin what he truly thought of him was both painful and touching.

"Perhaps he forced himself to become callous in order for life not to hurt..."

At this, Raistlin, unable to keep control of his emotions any more tore himself away from the front stairs and ran for the back stairs. Running down the steps he ran into the stables. Leaning against the wall and sliding down it he allowed himself the release he needed as his tears ran freely down his cheeks. Raistlin let his head sink down to his shaking hands.

_Look at yourself_, he chided himself. _Crying like a baby because you heard _him_ talk kindly, if truthfully, about you._

_Pathetic wretch. Is that a heart?_ came a darker, more feminine voice. _I didn't realize you had one._

_Shut up_, he told Her. _You don't know me, you never will_.

_Oh I know enough, Wizardling_, came the voice of the Dark Queen. _So, this is where you hide. Remember, I can find you where ever you go, what ever you do. What a lovely little lie you have built yourself there, Child of Night. How easy it would be for me to send one of my Knights to retrieve you and burn that village to the ground for harboring a fugitive_.

Raistlin sucked in a breath as his heart seemed to pound. "Don't you touch them!"

"Touch who Palin?" asked Dezra as she came into the stables.

Raistlin stood shakily, as if unsure if this was the dream and the former conversation was the reality. Shaking himself, he answered, "No one, Dez, no one. I'll take care of it."

He touched her on the head as he walked out, a worried frown on his face as he turned back to look at her go about caring for the horses. Thin cold fingers of fear settled over his heart. What was he doing? What did he possibly think he could achieve by trying to be Palin? If he remained more bloodshed would result. He wasn't saving them at all, if anything he was only putting them in only more danger by remaining one more single day.

Turning resolutely he walked back up to his rooms and began to pack...

* * *

Tanin heard the sudden movement at the top of the stairs, and knew that Raistlin had heard everything. For a moment he wasn't sure what kind of reaction that might make. He was aware of his Uncle's sudden departure and as soon as he could end the conversation with Caramon, he did. "I never knew that about Uncle Raistlin. The tales don't say even that much," said Tanin standing up. "I think I had better see what Sturm is up to..."

Tanin walked back up the stairs and watched as his Uncle, in too much of a hurry to notice him, fairly ran into his rooms. Walking to the open door and looking inside, he watched in fascination as Raistlin packed his gear. "Where are you going?" asked Tanin.

Raistlin looked up, startled. "Don't sneak up on me like that!"

"Sorry," said Tanin as he walked in and closed the door. "But you appear to be leaving us. Why?"

"The longer I stay here the more you _all_ are in danger," answered Raistlin. "I can't do this again. I won't sit by and watch... I can't."

Tanin crinkled his brows. "So you're running?"

"Yes," Raistlin pulled shut the last of his gear and threw the saddlebags over his shoulder and picked up the Staff of Magius.

Taking Tanin's shoulders in hand, he said in a low whisper. "Tanin, please understand. Your father is very correct about me," said Raistlin. "But know this too; if anything ever happened to you, your sisters, your brothers, and your parents it would _kill_ me. The longer I stay, the more danger Solace is in. I leave to _protect_ it."

"I don't understand," stated Tanin.

"Nor do you," retorted Raistlin gently. "Ah, Tanin, you are like your namesake, that much is clear. Do me a favor and watch over them like you namesake would?"

"I can't do that," said Tanin, a sudden gleam coming into his eye.

"Why not?" Raistlin was not in a mood to play games.

"Because I'm coming with you."

"No," Raistlin smiled and looked down. "Tanin, you have any idea what that would mean? Please, stay where you are needed."

Tanin nodded and put on hand on Raistlin's shoulder. "Be safe, Uncle."

"Be safe, Nephew," Raistlin put his hand on the knob but turned back. "Tanin?"

"Yeah?"

"At least see me off?"

"Sure," Tanin smiled through the tears that threatened to fall. "I can at least do that."

* * *

Tanin watched as his Uncle rode off into the noon time sun. He watched until he could no longer see him in the distance. A few hours later Sturm found him in the same spot, leaning on a rail on one of the tree bridges in town. "Have you seen Palin?" asked Sturm.

Tanin looked up, tears brushed away, then answered. "He's gone."

Sturm stared at his older brother. "What do you mean 'gone'?"

Tanin pointed to the East. "He rode off without us, my brother. On a mission of some sort. He goes where we cannot follow."

His brother's eyes went completely wide in shock, "_YOU LET HIM GO BY HIMSELF?!_ Father is going to kill us! We have to go after him!"

Tanin put a restraining hand on Sturm's shoulder, "Sturm..."

"We'll get fresh horses, supplies..."

"Sturm!"

"I have to sharpen my sword, bandits have been on the move lately," Sturm cursed but Tanin's hand clamped down on his wrist.

"STURM!!" Tanin shouted, then saw that he had his younger brother's attention. "I offered to go with him, but trust me on this, Palin can take care of himself. He told me to make sure that Solace was guarded. I think whatever is after Solace will require our swords than he does... if whatever it is isn't lured away by his leaving."

Until that last part Sturm was nodding in agreement, "Are you telling me this 'whatever-thing-that-could-kill-us-all' is actually after Palin? And that he left to lure it away to save Solace?"

Tanin thought for a moment, "Yes."

"_ARE YOU CRAZY?!_ We have to go after him! He could get killed!"

Tanin sighed. So much for his word to his Uncle...

* * *

Raistlin had ridden the better part of the day to the East, not even sure where he was going until he noticed that he was in the Plains of Abansinia. Sighing, he stopped and then let himself get his bearings. Where could he go where the threatening hand of the Dark Queen could not reach him?

He realized that, really, no where could hide him. He was probably doomed to a life as a wanderer. Like Marion was.

He smiled and looked down at the Blue Star, "Amazing how you got me into this mess."

The stone seemed burn with a blue fire deep within the flawless royal blue sapphire stone. He sighed. Suddenly his horse reared and he was thrown to the ground. Reflexes made him roll before arrows rained down where he had been. His horse lay not to far away in death throes, an arrow deep within its throat and another in its heart.

Unfortunately, when he had fallen, he was on one side of the horse, and the Staff of Magius was on the other. Thankfully he had fallen on the side opposite of the bandits and therefore had cover. He began to cast a spell when he was interrupted from his casting by a massive half orc swinging his club. Raistlin cut off the words of magic to dazedly, and clumsily fend off the blow.

He was knocked a good couple of feet by the force of the contact to land in a heap. Raistlin coughed and tried to bring up his left arm for a quick spell. The pain that arced up fizzled that spell, and told him that his arm was broken, useless. Perhaps a few of his ribs too. All he could was lay on the ground and moan in pain.

The half orc towered over him. "Not so tough, are you Wizard?" the half orc leaned down, and grasped the arm that was broken, pulled Raistlin to a standing position.

Raistlin, against whatever control he might have had, screamed with the agony that caused. The half orc pulled back one fist as he held Raistlin up. "That was for me brother, who you took out with magic purple darts. This is for Broken Tusk clan," the huge fist slammed into Raistlin's mid-section and it felt like his fist went through.

Pain ripped through the entirety of Raistlin who felt like his insides had been ripped out. This pain robbed him of breath to even scream, but he did anyway. He screamed without sound, mouth open and air only whistling. He was suddenly dropped to the ground as the half orc made a grunting sound before turning in rage to the new person.

A woman born of the Plains of Dust, of the desert, dropped her short bow in favor of the scimitar she truly favored. She was regal, and her skin was the shade of tan that reminded one of deserts and sand. Her black hair was braided into many thin dreadlock braids and fell down to her mid back. She even more the flowing desert garb.

She was unlike anyone in Abansinia had ever seen.

Raistlin opened the one eye he could and smiled at the sight. He knew her, and knew her abilities. The Broken Tusk clan was in for a fight.

The half orc charged her and she moved gracefully out of the way, her scimitar slicing open a cut on his back as he went by her. He turned in rage, and bellowed, "How dare you!"

"How dare you attack one of Miiro's chosen," she retorted, her accent giving away her decent from the Harems of the desert nomads of Khur. "Leave now and I won't kill you."

"Foreigner."

"Abomination."

"Die woman!" he charged her again.

In one quick movement she had run him through, slicing him from his gut and all the way around and under where his legs split into each other as she ducked under and through his legs. On the other side, she said simply. "Or in this case, it was for me to kill you."

The others of the bandit clan, now that their leader had been cut down, fled.

The woman ran over to Raistlin, sheathing her scimitar as she did so. Cradling him, she said, "Leaving the safety of Solace was foolish, Guardian of the Blue Star."

"How... How did you find me?" he asked, as if he really needed to.

"How do I always find you, _shah_?" she answered. "You simply require me."

She laid him gently on the ground and lit a fire in the dying sunlight. Using her cloak as a blanket she laid him in it. "Your injuries are severe," she said, lightly touching his forehead. "Sleep now."

Raistlin made a motion to protest put found that his lips could not form words anymore and the welcome oblivion of sleep took away the pain.

* * *

The next morning, the patrol for the Que-Shu found Raistlin leaning against his dead horse, unconcious. Any traces of the woman were gone, except for the cloak and the very dead half-orc. "By Mishakel," murmured the man as he recognized, or thought he did, the young man. Yelling to his companion. "Come quickly, I think this is Caramon Majere's son, Palin!"

The other ran up and touched his neck. Raistlin moaned. Given time he would heal, but right now he was in a lot of pain. Gentle hands lifted him and he remembered no more.

* * *

A few days later Tanin and Sturm happened upon the dead half orc bandit, and Tanin's heart sank when he saw the bloody mess by the dead horse. Sturm said quietly, "We should have been here."

Tanin could only wordlessly nod, even as his mind mulled over what in this world could take on Raistlin and actually win when Raistlin had taken on the Dark Queen on her own plane and won. Somehow, if something had gotten the better of Raistlin, he got the feeling that it would have mattered little if they had been here to back him up. But he couldn't tell Sturm this... Sturm would only maintain that somehow that the three of them would have succeeded where one would have fallen.

As Tanin searched around, he saw that there was no body. This gave him a sliver of hope that he might see Raistlin alive again. He turned to Sturm, "He's still alive. They took him with him."

Sturm's lips compressed into a thin line, "We have to find him. He could be hurt."

"He likely is. Somehow I feel that would be the only way he could have been possibly captured alive," answered Tanin dryly.

The two brothers looked at each other, and Tanin said darkly, "We go orc hunting."

A not so nice smile spread across Sturm's face as he fingered the hilt of his sword.

* * *

_A/N Miiro_: Methinks Raistlin's in a worse pickle now...

_A/N: Terrence_: I finally beat Kris in the plot twist catagory! Terrence 1 - Kris 2... oh, wait, she still has me beat...

_Response to reviews_:

Thank you to Smenzer, Guan and Sabrina for reviewing the last chapter and the one before (we forgot to thank you last time, lol)

Palin wasn't so much a 'terrible' wizard so much as he was inexperienced. In D&D, Palin was only 3rd level where Raistlin was nearly 24th. If Palin had the chance, without the Gods leaving in the Fifth Age, he would have been as great, or greater than Raistlin. (I think Raistlin even said as much, lol) That's how Tanin figured him out, btw. Raistlin has to be more careful about his use of magic or else he's going to be figured out by others.

... Perhaps even... Caramon? ;)


	6. Webs of Deceit

Responses to Last Chapter's reviews:  
  
Rais Majere: I remember that, it was more of a comparision to what Raistlin is like at Palin's Test. But it was a while, and everyone's memory requires a cow prod... although, lol, I've been living at www.dragonlance.com lately too....  
  
sabrina: I think I'll save Caramon for later ;)

* * *

Chapter Five  
Webs of Deceit 

* * *

Pain was a constant. He had no idea how long he spent in the haze until the cleric realized that either he was spell resistant (which, ironically, he was...) or he was not of the same... moral leaning of the cleric. Finally he dimly heard the cleric say, before he passed out again, was, "It's not working, call the Venla the healer."

A short time later, a pudgy woman entered the hut and peered down at the young man as she readied her potions and creams. "He's a thin one."

The cleric sighed, "He's also quite beyond my skills."

"Then shoo child, and let me take over," answered Venla as she looked down on the wizard and sighed.

He wasn't the first that had been brought in by the patrols. The bandits were on the move more than they had been in many years and so many an unwary traveler had been jumped. More often than not all Venla could do was ease their way into the afterlife. This one was better off, but not by much.

Venla took stock of the man's injuries and general health as she did so. He was clean by habit, typical of wizards, but thin and almost fragile. She stripped off and then sent his robe, or what remained of it, away to be cleaned . The dark purplish bruising on his left side running from the mid part of his rib cage and all the way down to nearly his hip was a concern. Probing gently, she pursed her lips. One... no, at least three broken ribs, one broken at least twice. He would have to be kept very, very still to prevent lung puncture. If that happened he was finished.

There was another bruise, this one in his middle. There was no mistaking that it had been made by a large fist. Touching it gently, she was relieved to note that he had not been injured internally by it. Good. That improved his chances. He would be sore, but at least he had a chance of living.

She then looked at his left arm and grimaced in sympathy. It was definitely broken. Oh indeed. Unstoppering one of the potion bottles and holding it a distance from her, she spilled some of it out into a rag and draped the rag over his nose and mouth. She counted to a slow five then pulled it away and took the rag outside in the care of her assistant. Again, she counted to a slow five to allow the ether to take effect. Once she was sure he would not feel any pain, she began to reset the broken arm. It too, was broken more than once. One break was above the elbow with the other in his inner lower bone. After making sure they were set, she splinted the arm and tied it immobile against his body, but not against his broken ribs.

After she was done, she leaned back and surveyed her handiwork. The wizard lay, seemingly in less pain. Well, perhaps he was. Once the weight had been removed, the stresses relieved, from the broken bones, the pain would subside. He was still in for a very long recovery.

Then she set to cleaning the rest of the various cuts and scrapes. Once the worst of them were bandaged, he didn't really look all that bad. Much too thin, and too young, for Venla's tastes, but one of the maiden's would love to have something as exotic and glamorous as a wizard. She snorted. As if their fathers would allow it. Besides, she got the feeling that he didn't give himself to just anybody.

Venla sat back and rubbed her hands together in satisfaction. She had a good feeling about this one's survival. He would live.

She walked out of the hut and stared at the ranger who had found him. "Riverwind," she said in Que-Shu. "He should live. I don't want him up and around for a good solid four days. He needs absolute bed rest. Every time he wakes up, I want you to give him two mouthfuls of the potion I left beside the bed, the one in the red bottle. When you're out of that, come see me and I'll see how he's doing. He needs to sleep, and sleep lots. It's the only way he'll heal. If he takes a turn for the worst, which he shouldn't, unless you muck up my instructions, come and get me."

With that Venla walked back to her own hut which was not far away from the hut where the White Robe lay. A younger Que-Shu ranger turned to Riverwind, "Is it the stuff I think she gave him?"

Riverwind shrugged as he sniffed the contents, then nodded, "Yes. He'll sleep for at least until tomorrow morning. I'll take first watch. Go rest, Skydancer."

"Don't let me sleep too long, Riverwind," said Skydancer said as she left.

Riverwind sighed and looked at the sleeping face of Palin Majere. "What have you gone and done now?" he mused.

* * *

Tanin and Sturm were chasing down the first of the tracks that they had managed to find. Sturm herded the hapless goblin into Tanin's horse as Tanin looped a length of rope around his ankles and caused him to trip. The goblin fell hard into the dirt and didn't get back up. Tanin swooped down on him, and picking up by the front of his shirt, threw him against the tree.

"Don't huuuuuurt me!" cried the goblin. "Did nothing to you!"

"What happened to the wizard?" demanded Tanin.

The goblin's eyes widened. "I don't know! Handuk ran when woman attack. Not want to die, not want to watch master die. But did anyway."

"What woman?" asked Sturm, still on the back of his horse. "Where is our brother now?"

"Don't know! Didn't stick around. Please don't kill me!"

Tanin let the goblin drop to the ground, "Get out of here. And remember that if I find out that you did have something to do with Palin Majere's attack, I'll make you wish I'd killed you here and now!"

The goblin ran into the dark as fast as his legs could carry him. Tanin mused as he watched the goblin run. Sturm said, "So, a woman rescued our brother. Where's that leave us?"

"I didn't see any tracks that would have been someone on horseback. But the place was pretty messed up," allowed Tanin as he remounted the horse. "Let's go back. Maybe if I give it a more through combing, I might pick something else up. I wish Tanis was here..."

Sturm snorted, "You aren't the only one. Tanis would have been able to tell exactly what would have happened in the rain."

"Oh shut up," retorted Tanin lightheartedly.

But he still could not quell the worry.

* * *

Riverwind found himself dozing when Palin came to. Well, if you could call the waking dreamland 'coming to'. Palin lay there, seemingly fascinated by the candlelight. Riverwind snorted. Likely he was rather fascinated by it. At the stage he was in after what Venla had given him could easily be called the 'look-at-all-the-pretty-colors' stage. Waving a hand in front of the young mage's eyes, Palin slowly, disjointedly, turned a rather blank glassy stare to Riverwind.

A few moments later, if not for the fact that his eyes were still open, if unfocussed, Riverwind would have suspected he fell back to sleep. There was no need to give him another dosing. "Go back to sleep," whispered Riverwind in common.

Palin's lips twitched, but no sound resulted, nor any recognizable attempt at speech. Then his eyes slowly drifted closed again and, after a sigh, he fell back to sleep again. Riverwind shook his head. Venla aimed to keep the boy drugged into next week. Granted, it may be the only way to keep him calm, sedate even, enough for him to acquiesce to the constant bedrest. It couldn't be hurting with keeping out of pain, either, in retrospect.

Perhaps later when he was more awake to actually be able to swallow, Riverwind would get him to swallow some more of Venla's potion down.

So sure that Palin was asleep that Riverwind missed the initial moan so soft it was. The second, however, hinted at that the next would not be far off in coming. Riverwind grabbed the potion bottle and opened it, "Palin... Palin can you hear me?"

A moan, louder, more soulful this time answered him. Unfortunately, that didn't tell Riverwind if he had understood or not. "Come on, Palin," Riverwind held his right hand. "Squeeze my hand twice if you can."

One squeeze, but it could have been... then one more definite squeeze. "Okay," Riverwind. "I need you to swallow this..."

Riverwind tipped the potion bottle up while supporting Palin's head with the other. He took one long drink, then collapsed in the pillows again. Riverwind closed the bottle again. That had been more like two and a half mouthfuls, but if it helped... Riverwind stroked Palin's hair, and was surprised by the jerking of his head when he moved it away reflexively. But soon all the tenseness and the lines in his face caused by the pain erased and this time Palin fell into a deep sleep, away from his pain.

Riverwind rearranged the sleeping furs around the young magus then settled back. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Tanin and Sturm picked over the location where Raistlin's dead horse lay. Finally Tanin said, "I just don't get it. Where could she have gone, and on what?"

Sturm picked up the arrow and looked at it, "I've never seen anything like this...?"

Tanin came over and looked at it. It was not elven, nor was it human. But it was not the ugly and heavy arrows of ogres or other evil humanoids. He turned it over in his hand and said, "What in the Abyss?"

"Drop your weapons!" cried out accented voices.

Tanin saw the flash of movement before a plainsman's spear buried itself into the ground. Tanin held up his hands in a peace making gesture. "Put down your sword, Sturm."

"What?" Sturm looked at him like he had gone crazy.

"Rangers of Que-Shu!" called out Tanin.

Sturm lips formed an 'O' shape as he understood what was happening and laid down his sword before putting his arms up in the same gesture as Tanin. Tanin smiled at his brother and continued, "We mean no trespass on your lands, we simply seek our brother. This is... was... his horse."

One of the rangers came out of the grass, "Your brother should not have been wandering alone."

"That's why we're looking for him," added Sturm empathically. "We think he's hurt or..."

Tanin winced and Sturm stopped, not wanting to voice that suspicion. The ranger sighed and made a motion with her hands and a group of five others surfaced from the grass. "You're right on that count, my friend," she said. "He was badly injured. We took him to our camp."

Sturm asked, "Thank you for saving him, lady, we... interrogated a goblin about ten miles South of here. He said a woman cut their leader down. I take that to be you."

She shook her head. "No, not I. We happened on your brother a few days ago. He was unconscious and leaning on his horse, a cloak wrapped around him. We assumed he cut down the half orc, and had enough energy to try and make camp to heal," she answered as the two brothers looked at each other. "My name is Skydancer, Ranger Apprentice to Riverwind of the Que-Shu, Hero of the Lance."

"Well met, Skydancer, I'm Tanin Majere, and this is my younger bother, Sturm Majere. The brother you have is our younger brother, Palin Majere," said Tanin, introducing himself as Sturm recovered his sword and sheathed it, nodding as Tanin introduced him. "I don't mean to be... pushy, but we would really like to see our brother. Where is he?"

She blinked her eyes as Tanin told her their identities, "The Majere's? As in Caramon Majere's _sons_? You are they?"

"Yes, lady..." answered Sturm. "I don't mean to be pushy, but as Tanin said... our brother..."

She waited as they grasped the reins of their horses to lead them. As they walked to the settlement a half day's ride away, but at least a full day away walk, she explained, "When we found him, we thought he would die before we reached Que-Shu where a cleric could heal him. How he lasted..." a few of the other rangers shook their heads.

Tanin's lips compressed, "It was bandits you say?"

"Yes, of the Broken Tusk clan," she answered. "They have been raiding much more than what is normal for this time of year. Your brother ran afoul of them. If not for this mysterious woman, he would have been dead before we ever arrived."

Sturm and Tanin exchanged concerned glances. "How is he now?" asked Sturm in concern.

"The last I saw him, not two days ago, unconscious and in the care of our healer, Venla."

"What about the cleric you mentioned?"

"Our guess is that she was too low level to make a dent with his injuries," Skydancer grimaced. "If Goldmoon had been there and not on some pilgrimage he would have been able to meet you."

Tanin thought darkly, _If Goldmoon had been there, our 'brother' would have been flayed alive_... But he kept that thought to himself as he followed Skydancer.

* * *

The sun was setting and turning the plains into burnished gold when they crested the last low rise of a hill and the blue of the sea greeted them, as well as the large stone and thatched hut town of Que-Shu greeted them. About an hour later they walked into the town to be greeted by Riverwind as he took each of their hands in greeting, "Tanin, Sturm, it's good to see you."

"They want to see their brother," said Skydancer.

Riverwind frowned deeply, "Perhaps you should give your horses rest and food and meet me for dinner first."

Tanin frowned and looked at Sturm, whose expression was one of worry.

When they had taken care of their horse's needs, they met Riverwind in his hut. "I thought I should give you an idea of what to expect," he began somberly. "Palin nearly died twice on his way here, and this has taxed his body severely. He has a broken arm, and a few broken ribs. He was bruised severely, but nothing was hurt inside."

"How is he now?" asked Sturm.

"Resting as comfortably as we can possibly keep him," answered Riverwind as he steepled his long fingers. "There is more. Our cleric was unable to heal him. At all."

He let that sink in before continuing, "Now, there are a few possibilities. One: he has a resistance to magic, of divine or arcane nature. While this presents a challenge to any cleric, it is more helpful than hinderence." He smiled then at that statement. "Given his chosen profession, that's a blessing to him."

"And the other?" asked Tanin, dreading, yet knowing what it was all the same.

And also knowing it to be the second.

"Two: although he appears to be a White Robe, he really is not," answered Riverwind. "That would mean that he is choosing to hide his true nature. Now, my question is, since you know him better than me, which is it?"

Sturm answered quickly, "Has to be the first! Palin would never hide his true nature."

Riverwind looked at Sturm and nodded, "Very well. And you Tanin?"

Sturm and Riverwind looked at Tanin as he thought it over. Tanin smiled inwardly at Sturm's hasty words. They were true enough, if they were talking about Palin. But they weren't. This was Raistlin, and no self respecting God of Good would heal him... would they? Carefully he answered, "I'm with Sturm on this one. Palin has always been open and honest before. He would have nothing to gain by hiding his 'true nature'."

Riverwind nodded, "Interesting."

The stood and Sturm went outside before either Tanin had a chance to move. Riverwind stopped and turned back to Tanin. "What is more interesting is that you would lie to protect him. I can only hope I am not watching history repeat itself in regards to you and your brother."

Tanin froze in sudden fear as Riverwind left the hut. He closed his eyes a moment, and regained his composure as he exited. Running to catch up with Riverwind and Sturm, he walked behind them. Riverwind stood aside and pulled the skin closing the hut. "He isn't awake yet. If he does awake, give him two mouthfuls of the potion on the nightstand. He's been in terrible pain every time he woke with me. I have a feeling that it hasn't changed."

Tanin nodded wordlessly as he followed his brother into the hut. Sturm was already on the other side of him and murmuring as he held Raistlin's left hand, "Palin, we're right here. You're going to be fine."

Taking up a position on the opposite side, Tanin watched Raistlin's chest rise and fall as he slept deeply. He was amazed that Raistlin had lived long enough to get here, and that he was going to recover. Finally Sturm fidgeted and said, "I'm going outside for awhile."

After his brother had left, Tanin moved quickly to the other side of the bed, and whispered into his Uncle's ear, "You have to be a lot tougher than everyone gives you credit for, because if it had been me, I would have died on my way here. Hang in there, Uncle Raistlin."

Tanin gave his Uncle's good shoulder a gentle and reassuring squeeze before settling into his vigil.

* * *

The next day Tanin walked over to Venla, "Can I ask a question about my brother?"

"The pretty wizardling?" she all but cackled.

"Uh, yeah, him," Tanin shifted his weight. "When would I be able to take him back to Solace to recover there?"

Venla's jovial attitude disappeared in a second and was all professional, "Your brother should not be moved, young man. Not yet. His injuries are very severe. That would be hazardous to his health."

Tanin let out a breath, "I don't fault that, I was just wondering when I could?"

Venla sighed, "On horseback, with his ribs, not for another month at least. In a wagon, with much padding, not for another two weeks at least... why so eager to leave our company, young man?"

"I'm not, Lady Venla," he answered honestly. "I just think that he would be more comfortable and likely to follow healer's orders in someplace familiar."

"I would agree," she conceded, and would not deny that half of her placation was due to the young man's respect and that 'Lady Venla' bit had helped lift her mood too... "But, he's by far not in any condition to travel."

Tanin gave a slight bow, "I bow to your greater wisdom in this, my Lady."

With that he left and she muttered in Que-Shu, "Now, there's a youth that was raised right and proper! Just like I raised my own younglings...."

Tanin, on the other hand, left the conversation a bit more than frustrated. He knew that the longer Raistlin stayed the more likely Goldmoon would return from her pilgrimage. Riverwind would definitely tell her about the incident with the cleric... and how Tanin had covered. Riverwind was no fool, but Goldmoon had the vision of the Gods on her side. Raistlin's gambit would be dissolved in mere seconds of her walking into see whom she thought Palin...

Tanin sat down in frustration by the bed. At least Sturm, with Skydancer, had ridden back to Solace and would not be coming back for at least a week. In truth, Palin had expected the wagon requirement. That's why he had sent Sturm back. The Que-Shu, eschewing all but the most rudimentary of implements, were hunters and gatherers. Nomads. There was not one wagon in the whole village. So back Sturm had gone... to Solace... and to bring back a wagon and two draft horses to pull it back with. On the list, he had also listed pillows, extra blankets and a set up for a tent to drape over the back of the wagon to protect Raistlin from the elements.

But, the soonest Sturm would return with everything was not for at least a week.

Which gave him a week to convince Venla that Raistlin could travel if they were extremely careful with him.

One week.

He hoped his Uncle could heal fast.

* * *

_A/N_:

_Miiro_: Ever get the feeling that we finished this even before we posted it, lol? WIPs are my pet peeve, lol. I will never, ever post a WIP again so long as I live.

_Terrence_: (on the above) About bloody time, too.

* * *

See Miiro's and Lord Terrence's Livejournal at http:www.livejournal.com/users/miiro 


	7. Recovery

Assume some time has passed and that Tanin and Raistlin are expecting Sturm and Skydancer to arrive any day now.

* * *

Chapter Six

Recovery

* * *

Tanin paced the hut as his Uncle Raistlin slept. The short conversation had been completely unproductive on both sides. Tanin wanted Raistlin to return to Solace. Raistlin would have none of it and maintained that once he had recovered enough, he would continue his journey. He had been completely silent when Tanin asked where this 'journey' was taking him, having no answer. Tanin even half suspected that Raistlin did not really know where he was going himself.

Finally Tanin slumped down in the chair. It had been six days since Sturm had left for Solace. If he ran into no problems on the way there, and none on the way back, he could be anywhere between here and Solace on his way back to Que-Shu.

Any day, perhaps any hour, Sturm would arrive. If Tanin and Raistlin presented Venla with a unified front and swore that he would get bed rest in Solace, and not move around too much, Tanin would be able to get her to let them go.

However, if Raistlin decided not to support Tanin (which he rather suspected would happen, knowing his Uncle...), Venla would hold him until she was satisfied he was well enough to move around. Knowing her she would make sure that he only moved around while under her strict supervision to make sure he didn't take off. Or...

Goldmoon could come back from her pilgrimage, recognize Raistlin for who he really was, not heal him, and turn him over to the Wizards of Wayreth.

That wouldn't be a good thing. Actually, for Raistlin it would more hazardous to his health than if he walked back to Solace in the condition he was in right now. Like, what would he say to Venla, _Look, you _have_ to release my Uncle. If Goldmoon figures him out, he's dead because she would feel obligated to reveal that he really _isn't_ my brother, Palin? Oh, trust me, Venla. He'd be more dead than if a _dozen_ half orcs tried beating him within an inch of his life_...

Better to let him die now. At least, with an overdose of Venla's potions, he'd go out without any pain, and perhaps even happy.

Tanin leaned back despondently in the chair. He heard the change in his Uncle's breathing before he really was aware that Raistlin was waking again. Tanin leaned forward as Raistlin, opening his eyes and blinking them, looked around as if getting his bearings again. Tanin grasped the bottle of the potion again but Raistlin waved it off. "No," he whispered. "Let me have a few moments to at least be awake. I'm not in as much pain as I was before."

The two of them sat in a relatively companionable silence as Tanin asked in a whisper, "I know you're my elder, but I must really insist. Come back to Solace and recover there."

"No."

"But..."

"Tanin," Raistlin moved his head to gaze at his nephew. "I can't. If... what I suspect to be after me... finds me there, not only would I be unable to help defend Solace, but it would consume the entire village. I can't allow that."

"So that's the terrible secret you hide," said Riverwind as he walked in.

For a moment, Tanin was frightened that Riverwind knew that Raistlin was lying before him, that he wasn't really Palin. Riverwind regarded the both of them, then sat down on the other side of Raistlin, all the while, Raistlin followed Riverwind's movement with his eyes.

"Palin Majere, while your... wish to protect Solace is admirable, running away never solves anything," said Riverwind, and Tanin let a breath out in relief. "Your brother has a valid point. As much as you've been the quietest guests we've had in a long time, and I rejoice at seeing the three strong sons of Caramon, I agree with Tanin's point. You would best heal at home, in familiar surroundings. And, trust me, since we now know that something hunts a Majere, you won't be unprotected. When Sturm and Skydancer return, I myself will accompany you home."

Both Tanin and Raistlin began to interject, but Riverwind held up his hand, "And that is final."

With that Riverwind left the tent to a wordless pair of Majere's.

* * *

Caramon breathed in the night air as he looked over to his middle son, Sturm. He smiled reassuringly as he continued to drive the two horse team that pulled the small wagon. Sturm had been practically dead on his feet when he had run into the Inn and into the kitchen to tell Caramon that Palin had been attacked by bandits and beaten within an inch of his life. At first, Caramon had gone white, then when he recovered, all he could do was listen as Sturm relayed Tanin's orders for a wagon to bring Palin home to recover.

Once Tika had managed to get mostly the full tale, or at least, what Sturm knew of it, it had been decided then and there that Caramon would accompany Sturm and Skydancer back to Que-Shu. It was the conversation with Skydancer and how she had found the gravely injured young wizard.

_"How did he come to be alone?" Caramon asked his son._

_"Tanin told me that Palin left to protect us all. I have no idea what that means, perhaps it found him and they left him for dead?" Sturm had shrugged. "You would have to ask Tanin..."_

Oh, Caramon had every intention of asking Tanin, as well as Palin. What had the boy been thinking to ride off with naught but some supplies and the Staff of Magius. Had he been thinking. He took a calming breath. He couldn't ask Palin until he recovered enough to be strong enough to take a bit of interrogating. And _what_ would hunt _Palin_, by the Gods? He wasn't even that powerful, just an apprentice who passed the Test.

They crested one last hill and saw the modest village of Que-Shu nestled into a mountainside and the blue of the sea in the distance. When they had passed under the gate, Caramon smiled as the tall form of Riverwind walked stately to greet him. "Caramon Majere! Que-Shu is honored not only by three Majere's, but now four!" Riverwind grasped his hand. "The years have been kind, my old friend."

"To you too, it would seem," said Caramon as he grasped his hand back and helped Riverwind climb into the wagon as he followed Sturm to a central hut and pulled up beside it.

Riverwind jumped down, and so did Caramon, if a bit more slowly. Sturm got down from his horse and looked after them while Riverwind led Caramon into the hut where Palin lay. Tanin looked up, saw his father, and his eyes went wide as he stood to greet him, "Father? What are you doing here?"

"One might ask the same of you," said Caramon, then sighed. "I won't ask now, it isn't the time nor the place. How is he?"

"Sleeping again," answered Tanin softly as they moved to the opposite corner. "A healer by the name of Venla gave him these potions to help him heal. He spends most of his time sleeping them off."

Caramon nodded his head, and walked over to Palin's bedside before kneeling down and taking his right hand in his large one. "Oh, my brave son. Why? What is _so_ terrible you can't tell your own _father_ about it?"

Caramon could have sworn that he heard a muffled gasp from Tanin, but when he looked back at his eldest son there seemed to be nothing amiss. Turning back to Palin, he wanted so much to see the soft hazel like his mother's eyes.

The pale blue ones that sleepily greeted him with vaguely veiled surprise was a bit... strange. Well, at least he could have sworn that Palin had hazel eyes. Perhaps it was one of the others? "How are you feeling, son?" asked Caramon softly. "Are you in any pain?"

For a moment, Palin seemed to blink without comprehension, then he gave a gentle shake of his head. "What are you doing here?" he asked, as if it took everything he had to give a gentle and not too impatient sounding answer.

"I came to get you, silly," said Caramon. "We'll see about getting you back home to recover there."

"But...."

"No buts!" Caramon said sharply, getting tired of the cross answers from his own children. "You're coming home with me and that's final. Whatever this 'thing' is hunting you will simply have to go through me. And I'll be damned if I let it take a member of my family. Whatever it is will learn that if you attack one Majere, you attack us all."

Riverwind stepped in, "Indeed, if you attack any of the Heroes of the Lance, you take us all on. And that includes our heroic children. You have more than just your father's protection, Palin. Remember that."

Tanin held his breath as he watched Raistlin's eyes widen more and more as the two went on. In a dark way, it was rather amusing to watch Raistlin, of all people, be made uncomfortable. Finally Raistlin sighed, and said, "Very well."

* * *

Tanin, once he figured his father wanted a heart to heart with 'Palin', left and paced outside. Sturm watched his elder brother. "Father was really scared, you know," pointed out Sturm.

"I know. I could tell when he saw Palin," said Tanin, honestly surprised at how easy Raistlin's deception rolled off his tongue, how easily he hid his own grief at knowing that the man who lay inside was not his younger brother. "Not that I wasn't either."

"I was right, you know, both he and Mother flipped when they found out."

Tanin glared at his brother and Sturm turned away. Caramon came back out, and said to Tanin, "You and I need to have a talk."

Tanin nodded, ignoring Sturm's soft hummed death march. Following his father between tents and out of sight of the village Tanin had some misgivings. Caramon stopped and turned to face him, "Palin is being rather tight lipped about the situation, but he has finally agreed to coming back with us."

Sighing in open relief, Tanin said pointedly, "It's about time someone got him to listen to reason."

"... But I have to wonder at something. You, of all of them, tend to think things through," Caramon paced in a circle around Tanin. "However, I have to wonder, what were you thinking when you simply watched him ride off?"

"Well..." Tanin began, not even sure how to put it.

_Gee, Dad, Palin is really powerful, if anything Sturm and I would have gotten in his way? Gee, Dad, he's not even Palin, he's _Uncle Raistlin_, and you told me _all_ about him_... Tanin realized that there was really nothing to say. Granted, he shouldn't have let Raistlin ride off in the first place. Even he knew better. But he couldn't tell Raistlin that either. Tanin took a breath, "Palin... okay I shouldn't have let him ride off. But he seemed so sure that Sturm and I would be needed more in Solace than with him. He wouldn't _let_ me come with him, and I couldn't talk him out of leaving. Sturm and I followed him anyway. Little good that did..."

Caramon ran a hand down his face. "Damn right you shouldn't have let him leave, and if he rode off anyway you should have come straight to me. But I have to be fair. You did ride after him with Sturm at a distance. You're too old to turn over my knee, and he's too old to be chased after if he runs away. Hell, he's even too old to run away. If he wants to leave, that's his choice now. As much as it scares me, all three of you are able to marry, even if you don't act like it. And that's my point. Tanin, you're too mature to be hiding this. You knew this was out of your league and did nothing. What if he had died?"

Tanin listened and nodded, "Father, if Palin died when I could have prevented it, I would never forgive myself. But he didn't. That's doesn't mean I feel any better."

"That's good, son," said Caramon. "Remember that feeling, and I hope that you never have to feel it again. Now, let's forget this and figure out how in the Abyss we're going to protect the young fool from whatever he's running from."

"He wouldn't tell me what it was," said Tanin quietly. "I just know he was..." _did the word _afraid_ even apply to Raistlin?_... "afraid of what it was. Afraid for us, afraid for Solace, perhaps even afraid for himself."

Caramon made a hmming noise in thought as they walked back to the hut where Raistlin was. Riverwind came out and said, "Venla's in with him now."

The four of them waited outside until Venla's assistant came out and said, "Venla has something to tell you and the patient. Please step inside."

Riverwind stayed outside while Caramon, Tanin, and Sturm went back inside. Raistlin was still in the bed with Venla standing to one side. "Against my better judgement, so long as you all promise me that he will not leave his bed, except to relieve himself, he can go home," before any of them could answer, she held up a hand. "And also you must keep to all of my conditions."

Caramon answered, "Of course."

"And you," she turned to Raistlin.

"I'll do it," he grudgingly agreed.

"Good then. He rides in the back of the wagon, flat on his back so if he wants to rest he can. He will be pillowed by plenty of hay so that he feels no bumps and bundled warmly and comfortably. That tent like affair for the top of it will be up at all times for the trip. Take it slow and smoothly," Venla looked pointedly at Caramon who nodded his agreement. "Good. Now, when he gets home, he will be carried to his room. I don't want to hear even a whisper of a rumor that he walked up those infamous stairs to the Inn of the Last Home, got me?"

"Yes, Venla," the three standing members of the Majere family said.

"Good. Now, when at home, one week at least of full and complete bed rest. I would prefer two, but he can walk around within the home so long as he doesn't tire himself after the one week. Now, fresh air is okay so after two weeks he can have short trips to sit outside for some sun and fresh air. The same goes. He will tire very quickly, so don't let him or he won't heal," Venla then turned and handed them a well padded wicker basket. "These are my potions. I know you can all read. In the basket there is a list of what to do in case you forget, as well as a supply of my potions and some spare bandages and creams. If he needs something for pain two mouthfuls of the potion will help, but also put him to sleep for awhile. I would suggest for the first week or two that he be given two mouthfuls before bedtime so he can sleep the night. Any questions?"

Caramon shook his head and took the basket from her, "No. When can we take him home?"

"I would like to watch him one more night, so tomorrow morning. I'll give him some of the potion tonight, so he'll be quite groggy in the morning," she answered.

Venla nodded and then left the hut. Raistlin said, "Thank you for helping me."

"Palin, it's no problem," said Caramon. "Would you relax."

"I can't 'relax'," snapped Raistlin. "You're all in danger because of _me_, but you won't listen..."

Tanin quipped, "What is with this family? We're all in danger because of the other, but we won't ask for help. I guess we're just stuck with danger. Well, at least we won't be bored."

Raistlin looked at Tanin with a disbelieving expression, then smiled as the humor filtered through. Caramon snickered as did Sturm. "You're worse than kender, Tanin," pointed out Sturm.

"Gods, I hope not. If things start falling into his pocket, I'm going to see if I can find out who switched him at birth," said Caramon.

They let the light atmosphere last awhile, until they noticed that Raistlin's eyelids were drooping again. The three other Majere's slipped out and let him sleep peacefully.

* * *

The next day they moved a sleepy and groggy Raistlin into the wagon. Riverwind said, "Are you sure you don't want me to go with you?"

Caramon nodded his head, "Not that I don't want your company, Riverwind, but if Goldmoon returns while you're gone I wouldn't want her to worry."

"Think nothing of it," said Riverwind as he signaled to a few of the Rangers. "We'll go with you. With that wagon, bandits will have you marked from here to Solace. I would rather be sure that you are safe."

"Well, in that case," agreed Caramon. "Glad to have you along."

* * *

They were not even half a day into their journey when the attack came. Caramon brought out a crossbow, and his two sons drew their swords, but did not dismount. Riverwind cocked his bow and let fly, taking out a bandit off his own horse.

Sturm and Tanin were familiar with fighting on horse back and using their trained mounts kept up a cycling perimeter around the wagon, taking out any who came too close. Tanin was cycling around, when he saw Raistlin's right hand motion to the tent above. Tanin stopped and peeled back the tent cloth. Hearing his Uncle start to cast his magic and seeing as his right hand did the motion for the spell, Tanin hovered close to make sure none interrupted his casting. When he finished casting, Tanin felt the unmistakable feel of magic in the air.

One bandit yelled, "Wizard! There's a wizard in the wagon!"

But the spell had been cast. Tanin had the dubious distinction of seeing a molten ball of flame land a distance away close to where the arrows were coming from. The one molten ball split into three, those three split into three more, and then those nine each split into three so that it rained smaller meteors into the midst of the bandits.

Sturm had stopped riding in a circle and, although at ready for another attack, was clearly impressed with the spell cast. The remaining bandits, which weren't many after that spell, broke and ran away. Sturm rode over and asked, "What was _that?_"

Raistlin smiled, "_Meteor Swarm_."

Riverwind, eyes still on the charred ground and bodies, moved over to Caramon, "Gods in Heaven above, if your son is capable of that, I would hate to come across what laid him up..."

Caramon regarded his middle child in wonder, "Same here..."

* * *

The rest of the trip back to Solace was uneventful. After casting the really impressive spell, Palin had fallen immediately back to sleep. Caramon carefully lifted his son out of the wagon and carried him up to his room. Not to anyone's surprise, he never stirred. When Tika opened the door to find Riverwind and Caramon, with Caramon holding the sleeping Palin, she automatically preceded them as she opened the door to his room and Caramon lay him gently in his bed and brushed his hair out of his face as he pulled the covers up over his son.

Tanin walked in and lay the Staff of the Magius against the headboard, and also fastened the chain that held Raistlin's rings together around his own neck. Raistlin seemed to have that bit of trust in Tanin, and really, Tanin didn't know who else to entrust the items to.

He meekly followed his father out, then noticed Caramon's pointed gaze at the rings. Caramon tapped Tanin on the elbow and led him to Tanin's room. Once there, Caramon closed the door and pointed to the gold chain around Tanin's neck, "Where did that ring come from?"

"Ring?"

Caramon pulled out a simple gold ring that had a blue sapphire set in an unknown setting material. "Yes, this one."

"He was wearing it on his left hand," answered Tanin. "I figured that he wouldn't want it to get lost, so took his things and made sure that they couldn't get lost. I didn't exactly feel right wearing it, so I put his rings on this chain."

Caramon sighed heavily, "I was rather hoping Palin would miss that burden, but I guess that's why the Staff was also given."

Tanin sucked in a breath, realizing his mistake. Not only was the Staff a unique item to his Uncle Raistlin, but now he realized that so was his rings. Well, at least one of them. Tanin looked at the nondescript ring, and it seemed to glitter a deep blue within. It was a calming blue, but one that didn't really make him want to wear it. Besides, the gold band was seemingly sized for Raistlin, and therefore would be too small. But... until Raistlin woke up Tanin felt right protecting it for him.

Tanin slowly became aware of Caramon shaking him. "What?" he asked.

"You seemed to fade off for a few minutes," said Caramon. "Come on, maybe you should go to bed too."

"Yeah, maybe," that didn't seem to be such a bad idea and Tanin complied.

Caramon left his two sons to sleep, but walked past Palin's door and looked in. Something tickled in the back of his mind, like something of a ghost of a memory that wanted to be remembered but just could not. Looking at Palin he dimly remembered a woman, a powerful woman. But the memory came and went. Shaking his head he went downstairs to see off Riverwind, Skydancer, and the other Que-Shu rangers that had accompanied them back.

Riverwind was talking with Tika, and laughing over memories. When Caramon entered, he stood up and kissed Tika's hand, then said to both of them, "When Palin is recovered enough, you have to come visit Goldmoon and our children. It has been too long, my old companions. Much too long..."

Caramon shook Riverwind's hand, "Yes, it has. I guess the silver lining to this is that we got to see each other and catch up."

"Yes, true," Riverwind laughed. "Well, remember the invitation. And Tika, don't let him forget!"

"I won't!" she called to his retreating form.

Turning to Caramon, she said, "He doesn't seem as bad as Sturm said he was."

"He's been healing pretty quick," remarked Caramon, again this set off that eerie feeling that triggered a memory that he couldn't quite put his finger on. "And his skills are phenomenal. I can see why they wanted to Test him now..."

* * *

Raistlin awoke in the night to regard the ghostly form of a woman in his room. Except it wasn't Marion. In fact, it wasn't any woman he remembered. This one wore ancient Red Robes and looked at him sadly as she kissed his forehead. "Heal fast, Guardian. I sense things are moving quickly now."

"Who are you?" he asked.

She smiled, and her, _Tarsian?_, accented voice whispered, "Someday, maybe I will tell you, but know I have watched your progress for a very, very long time. I mourned when you fell, and I rejoiced when I saw you again, redeemed. You, my old friend, my greatest failure, yet my greatest victory... ah... but I've already told you too much. Rest well, Raistlin, Guardian Avatar of the Miiro."

With that a lone ray of the red moon penetrated his room and she disappeared. "Lunitari?" he wondered.

Maybe, but she had never appeared to him like that. He put his head in his hands and groaned, "Now what have I gotten myself into?"

* * *

Meanwhile, in Neraka, a set of armored figures walked into the Temple of the Dark Queen. The lead one, kneeled before her alter. "My Dark Queen, my All-Seeing General, I ask a boon..."

In his mind, he felt her pleased touch, What is it you ask, Ariakan?

"I ask to form a Knighthood, dedicated to your vindication, organized to do your absolute will, and for the progress you will bring," he then explained his plan to form what would come to be known as the Knights of Takhisis...

* * *

The End of Book One

* * *

_A/N_

_Miiro_: I will post Book Two. Things are about to get very AU, but still, surprisingly, weave in with canon. (Yes, I like AU that does that, lol. I love 'what-ifs')

_Lord Terrence_: I did say she was a sick, demented GM, right? I think she just proved it...

_From Both_: This first Book was a little dry, we know, but if we leapt into the next two books we would have likely confused the heck out of everyone. This is kind of a prolog to the other two, a part necessary so that the other two make sense. So what's next?

An AU of Dragons of Summer Flame as Book Two: We now know that it was Raistlin the entire time, so, how will that change things in the Chaos War?

Book Three will be a 'surprise', but rest assured, Raistlin will continue to try and maintain his Merciful Deception, and live up to his responsibility as a Miiro!

Still interested? Let us know! Hate the idea? Well, don't flame us, _but_ constructive crititism and any advice on how to improve it will be welcomed with open arms.

* * *

The Promised Extra: Our version of Raistlin Majere

_Raistlin Majere_  
"Master of Past and Present"  
(for the purpose of the Blue Star Campaigns...)  
Rogue 3/Wizard 25 (Epic)/Archmage 2  
ECL = 34  
'Fragment of the Miiro' Template  
Male Half-Human/Half-Miiro  
Neutral Evil

Normal:  
Height: 5'10  
Weight: 135lbs  
Hair: Dark Brown/Black  
Eyes: Pale Blue  
Skin: Fair Complexion

Avatar of Miiro:  
Height: same  
Weight: same  
Hair: Silver White  
Eyes: Gold  
Skin: Gold

Can assume either appearance at will, although tends to fall into Avatar form when threatened or when he loses his temper.

Birthdate: AC 326 (at the point of this Book, he was technically 54 years old, but as Raistlin can't really age...)

STR 13 (1)  
DEX 18 (4)  
CON 11  
INT 20 (5)  
WIS 14 (2)  
CHA 15 (2)

_Base Attack_: 13/8/3  
Base Melee: 14/9  
Base Ranged: 17/12

Initiative Bonus: 4 Hit Points: 138 Speed: 30ft

Armored AC: 33 (it's been known to occasionally happen...)  
Unarmored AC: 27

_Saving Throws_  
Fort: 7  
Ref: 15  
Will: 20

_Template Features_:  
Size: M  
Type: Augmented  
Base Hit Die: 4d8-27d8  
Immunities (Ex)  
- Polymorphing, Petrification, any form altering attack  
- not subject to energy drain, ability drain, ability damage  
- immune to mind affecting effects no mind affecting effects of any kind  
- immune to fire  
Resistances (ex)  
- Fire 20, Cold 20  
- DR 30/6  
- Spell resistance = ECL plus 12  
Constant Non-Detection Spell Caster Level = ECL  
Special Qualities (Ex)  
- Maximum Hit Points per Hit Die  
- True Seeing at Will  
- Not subject to Death from Massive Damage  
- Blind-sight (Ex) 500ft range  
Telepathy (Su) - Can communicate to anything that has a language  
Fast Healing & Regeneration (Fast Heal 5, Regen 5)  
Natural Armor 10 Golden Colored Skin (can be turned off if known for what it is)  
Spell Like Abilities:  
- Sea Titan Page 242-243 3.5 Monster Manual  
Son of the Miiro (Sp)  
- Incarnation of the Miiro, can summon one other Miiro 1x/day (by name only, if he knows any)  
Unique Ability  
- The incarnation of the Miiro can control the Blue Star ring (the Essence of the Miiro)  
Level Adjustment: 4-27 (depending on how powerful incarnation starts off at)

Raistlin mistakenly thought that he could become a God. Depending on your outlook, unfortunately or fortunately, since he already was one, he could defeat Takhisis. A regular mortal would have never been able to even challenge a greater God, let alone defeat one. But that was not the case for Raistlin as he already was a God but just didn't know it until after.

_Class Features_:

_Rogue_  
• Weapon and Armor Proficiency (scary thought with Raistlin...): All simple weapons, plus Hand X-Bow, rapier, sap, shortbow, short sword (eek, nice to know that Raistlin, if he picks up a sword, knows what to do with it...). Proficient with light armor (Ooh, Armored Casting alert!) but not shields.  
• Sneak Attack 2D6 (we all knew that we couldn't turn our back on him, now we know why...)  
• Trapfinding  
• Evasion  
• Trapsense 1

_Wizard_  
• Weapon and Armor Proficiency (oh look, more weapons training for Raistlin...): club, dagger, heavy X-Bow, light X-Bow, quarterstaff, but no armor or shields.  
• Spells: Casts Magic drawn from the sorcerer/wizard list. Wizards must choose and prepare their spells ahead of time.  
• Bonus language: may substitute Draconic for racial languages  
• Familiar  
• Scribe Scroll  
• Spellbook

_Archmage_  
• High Arcana (Mastery of Counterspelling, Spell Power)

_Skills_:  
Appraise 7, Balance 6, Bluff 5, Concentration 10, Craft (Alchemy) 24, Decipher Script 15, Diplomacy 4, Disable Device 6, Disguise 4, Escape Artist 8, Forgery 7, Gather Information 9, Hide 6, Intimidate 7, Knowledge (Arcana 25, Local: Solace 15, Local: Palanthas 5, Local: Wayreth 5, Geography 15, Religon 15, The Planes 25), Listen 7, Move Silently 6, Open Lock 6, Perform (Act) 8, Profession (Entertainer) 4, Search 4, Sense Motive 4, Sleight of Hand 12, Spellcraft 45, Spot 4, Tumble 6, Use Magic Device 7, Use Rope 6

_Feats_: Armor Proficiency (light), Automatic Quicken Spell, Epic Spellcasting, Weapon Proficiency (simple, martial), Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Hand X-Bow, Bastard Sword), Skill Focus (Spell Craft), Quicken Spell, Spell Focus (Conjuration, Evocation), Heighten Spell, Deft Hands, Combat Reflexes, Combat Casting, Brew Potion, Armored Casting

_Magic_:  
Spells per day/memorized:  
0th: 6  
Read Magic x2, Detect Magic x3, Mending x1  
1st: 8  
Mage Armor x2, Identify x3, Magic Missile x1, Sleep x1, Expeditious Retreat x1  
2nd: 7  
Flaming Sphere, Web, Acid Arrow, Protection from Arrows x4,  
3rd: 7  
Dispel Magic x2, Deep Slumber x1, Fireball x1, Blink x1, Flame Arrow x2  
4th: 7  
Detect Scrying x1, Confusion x1, Fire Shield x2, Polymorph x1, Ice Storm x1, Fire Wall x1  
5th: 6  
Break Enchantment x1, Teleport x2, Baleful Poymorph x2, Telekinesis x1  
6th: 6  
Greater Dispel Magic x1, Greater Heroism x2, Wall of Iron x1, Chain Lightening x1, Transformation x1  
7th: 5  
Banishment x1, Spell Turning x1, Summon Monster VII x1, Finger of Death x1, Delayed Blast Fireball x1  
8th: 6  
Protection from Spells x1, Trap the Soul x1, Incendiary Cloud x1, Sunburst x2, Iron Body x1  
9th: 6  
Power Word: Kill x1, Energy Drain x1, Meteor Swarm x1, Time Stop x1, Summon Monster IX x1, Gate x1  
Epic Lvl Spells: 4  
Let Go of Me x1, Rain of Fire x1, Soul Scry x1, Safe Time x1

_Equipment_:

This varies on where Raistlin is.

If he is in the Tower of Sorcery in Palanthas, he has nearly unlimited resources.

If traveling, there is a 50% chance that he wears armor (more so if alone...). If he is wearing armor it is always a suit of magical leather armor (which, he found... somewhere in his travels...). Except when he 'lent' it to his nephew Palin, he also always had the _Staff of Magius_. Raistlin still always carries the _Dagger of Magius_ with him, as well as the Blue Star.

_Raistlin's Leather Armor_  
Plus 4 Leather Armor  
Sonic Resistance, Greater (absorbs first 30 points of sonic damage per attack)  
Worth (if he sold it): 82,500 Gold

_Staff of Magius_  
(Intelligent, Major Artifact, Epic Staff)

The Staff of Magius is Krynn's premier magical artifact – aside from the Dragon Orbs.

The Staff functions as a Ring of Protection 3, as well as a Quarterstaff 3. It also grants a 3 bonus to all saving throws. The staff adds a 10 bonus to the user's Spell Save DC and also maintains the Empower Spell and Maximize spell at all times. The Staff is also Intelligent and an ego of 33 and has the following abilities:

INT: 22  
WIS: 16  
CHA: 24

Has the special purpose of defeating/slaying evil dragons. When used for its special purpose the Staff can True Resurrection on the wielder once per month.

The Staff, should it want to, can communicate by speech and telepathy. The Staff speaks Common, Draconic, Qualinesti, Silvanesti, Kagonesti, Solamnic, Tarsian. It can also read the same languages, as well as _Read Magic_.

The Staff of Magius can cast the following spells:

At Will:  
Light  
Darkness  
Detect Magic  
Deeper Darkness  
Featherfall  
Non-Detection  
Hide Aura  
Detect magic  
Enlarge person (Fortitude DC 15 negates)

Once/day  
Identify  
Shield  
Mage Armour  
Knock  
Lightening Bolt (10d6 damage, Reflex DC 17 half)

Once/3 days  
Obscuring Mist  
Hold Portal  
Scry  
Wall of Fire  
Teleport

Once/month  
Globe of Invulnerability  
Teleport, Greater

The above mentioned abilities are known to the spellcaster right away. However, the following is not, and is only discovered through experimentation. In the hands of a 6th level mage, the staff has a few more unique features. The staff can double the duration of spells involving light, air, and mind influence. Any spell that requires concentration, the staff holds the spell for one round after the concentration ends. The staff also adds 2 points of damage per die of any spell cast.

History

Not much is known about the Staff of Magius's past. Legend says that the staff was a gift The Three Gods of Magic, given to Magius as a mark of his devotion to all the arts, rather than a set order. Magius was instrumental in the defeat of the Armies of Takhisis. Whether or not the staff was actually used in the final battle against Takhisis and her minions, however, is anyone's guess. After Magius and Huma's death, the staff was recovered by Kaz the Minotaur, who retured it to the Order of High Sorcery, not knowing what else to do with it. The staff was given unto the protection of the Head of the Conclave until such a time when it was needed again. Par-Salian deemed that time was when a young mage named Raistlin Majere passed his Test of High Sorcery. Already troubled by his message from the Gods he gave the staff to Raistlin to ward of the influence of Fistandantilus.

What really happened!

The Staff of Magius is an intelligent major artifact created by Magius, yes. What else is there?

Well, the story is not quite so simple...

Magius had a friend who was a fellow magic-user (a Red Robe) who was dying of a incurable disease and wanted desperately to help in the war against the evil dragons and Takhisis. So the two came up with a plan: Since Ektatrina was dying anyway, she sacrificed herself to the magic and allowed Magius to bind her Soul into the Staff. All her magic and her magical skills were also bound within the rune covered staff.

'Ektatrina' served as the Staff during the War, and so Takhisis was defeated.

Ektatrina is a quiet, subtle lady of Tarsis with a warm, slightly accented voice (for those who actually get to hear it...). She prefers men who wear the Red Robes, but will allow others to wield her.

References

Chronicles Trilogy, The Legends Trilogy, The Second Generation, Dragons of Summer Flame, by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman Legend of Huma by Richard A. Knaak, DL# Game Modules by various authors.

Intelligence is especially drawn from Dragons of Summer Flame– when the Staff tripped the Nightlord and killed her. Chance? I think not.

_By Galen Dracos on Dragonlance.com with alterations done by Miiro._

_Dagger of Magius_  
The Dagger of Magius is the counterpart to the Staff of Magius, and was created as a set by the Red Robe Wizard Magius.

The Dagger is a 5 dagger with Non-Detection cast on the item itself.

_The Blue Star_  
(Major Epic Artifact, Intelligent)

_The History of the Blue Star is this_:

Before the Birth of the Gods Of Good, Evil, and those In-Between, there existed a Triune of Law and her two sons Chaos and the One of the Greater Balance, Miiro. One day Chaos caused one of Law's creations to go awry and She decided that She would destroy Him. Mid-cast the Miiro leapt in front of his brother and was shattered.

The largest and most powerful fragment resided in the most Holy of all items in creation: The Blue Star. The other fragments (also known as the Avatars) were those who appeared to be mortal in any plane or planet (so scattered did the Miiro become...).

The Guardians were those who were endowed with carrying and protecting the Blue Star wherever it was found.

_Appearance_: The Blue Star is a simple gold ring with a medium sized flawless royal blue sapphire set in the star-stone setting (the setting is a metal that no mortal knows the name of)

_Abilities_: The Blue Star is by far not an item that a typical character should possess. It _will_ unbalance the game unless you are playing an epic level campaign.

INT: 32 (11)  
WIS: 38 (14)  
CHA: 27 (8)

_Item Ego_: 70

_Alignment_: Any Non-Lawful, Any Non-Chaotic

_Item Communication_: Empathy (Possessor feels urges and sometimes emotions that encourage or discourage certain courses of action.

_Primary Abilities_:  
Free Use of Evasion  
Detect Thoughts (100 ft-range, 1 min per use) 6/day  
Summon Monster III 1/day  
Fly (30 min per use) 2/day

_Extraordinary Powers_:  
Charm Person (DC 11) on contact - 3/day  
Magic Missile (200 ft range, 3 missiles) 3/day

_Awesome Powers_:  
Summon Monster IX-2 (extended; 40-round duration) 1/day  
Finger of Death (heightened to 9th level; DC 33) 1/Day  
Chain Lightning (enhanced; 20d6 damage; DC 30) 1/day  
Teleport Without Error 2/day

_Special Purpose_:  
Defeat/slay diametrically opposed alignment  
_Power_ - Confusion (DC 33) for 2d6 rounds


End file.
